Comment Number:	539814-00584
Received:	1/13/2009 10:36:11 AM
Organization:	DoIT Showroom
Commenter:	Bob Novak
State:	WI
Agency:	Federal Trade Commission
Rule:	FTC Town Hall to Address Digital Rights Management Technologies - Event Takes Place Wednesday, March 25, 2009, in Seattle
Attachments:

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Comments:

As a consumer of digital media, both digital music and computer and console games, I sincerely dislike DRM. While the purpose of DRM was to protect digital content rights for the companies that sell and distribute such media, the effect of this system has been far from the mark. DRM effectively locks out the end consumer from fully utilizing the product that they purchased. Restrictions on the number of loads, in games like Spore for example, have caused severe backlash in the community and have weakened consumer's confidence in digital media, rather than strengthening it. DRM is easily circumvented by pirates, and really only causes problems for the people it is supposed to help. I understand that companies have a right to protect their property, but DRM is not the way to do it. Please consider legislation or regulations to reduce DRM use and try to find a better way to protect digital media rights. Thank you.