I really, really, really hate DRM. My new audio package arrived a few days ago. I had trouble installing it because it "suggested" I disable UAC in Windows 7, but didn't really bother because it seemed like it was one of those requests you can ignore, like closing all applications, disabling virus scanner, etc. Every time I've encountered "over-cautious" requests like that I've ignored them and was fine. But this time its "suggestion" turned out to be a "requirement" as it installed fine after I disabled UAC. But then it came time to install and activate the iLok security dongle (which, incidentally, I had to pay extra for in order to use the software). This thing is longer than most of my USB keys and shaped like a damn teapot, so it isn't like it sits there inconspicuously; it juts out of my case like a tumor. So its driver software is supposed to install drivers, plus plugins and ActiveX controls for Firefox and IE. Drivers appeared to install fine. But the website that activates the plugin that allows me to add and manage the software licenses won't activate, not in Firefox, not in IE. Not at all. I can't do a damn thing with this new audio package until I can get my iLok added and activated on the web. So I'm sitting here waiting for a support ticket to get answered. I HATE DRM. Honestly, this package is just about 50 gigs when fully installed; I had to clear an entire spare partition just to install it. (I have two sitting around doing nothing so that wasn't an issue.) Who the hell do they expect to pirate a package of this size? And why would they think such people would buy it if they couldn't find it? This thing is beyond massive. Even over a fast connection it would take bloody forever to torrent. Grrr. This is frustrating and stupid.
yeah drm is such a pain.. i really despise it. for media i use tunebite it helps with somethings. even tho tunebite works great at grabbing audio or video from the screen have a beer and relax. i remember back in the day. when you went to install linux you needed a 6 pack and some luck.. luck your hardware would be supported. heh chris.
The thing is though, not only is this DRM technology being a serious pain in the ass and refusing to work right now, I had to pay an extra $40 for the privilege of having it do so! And it isn't like I had a choice; this dongle is required for every EWQL audio package, and although you can store multiple keys on the same dongle, you still need to pay for the damn dongle if you don't have one already (i.e. it's your first time buying an EWQL package). I was hoping to have a little promo ditty done using this package by the end of the weekend, but it's looking like that won't happen.
yeah, that would piss me off too. did you see this: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/18/intel-wants-to-charge-50-to-unlock-stuff-your-cpu-can-already-d/#disqus_thread man id be pissed if i had to buy a card to unlock my cpu. yeah they been locking them for years but for difference reasons.. and never did you have to pay for a gift card to get it.. laughs not really relevant to your situation.. but, what you said about paying extra made me think of this. chris.
Holy jeez, that's fail. I've known about binning for years -- I bought a video card that had a few of its pipelines locked down. I unlocked 2 of the 4 that were locked down and increased performance considerably. (I tried unlocking the other two but it produced video artifacts that demonstrated that those pipes were, in fact, defective.) But in that case it was a bonus that I could do that. I wouldn't have paid extra to do it. I hope this fails for Intel. But either way it makes me glad I prefer AMD.
It doesn't excuse piracy but it explains some of it, by punishing those who have purchased legally you risk turning customers into pirates. I had purchased £300 worth of music for my iphone which I lost due to having to reformat a pc a couple of times (they did allow me to re-download once) so I went on the torrent sites and promptly redownloaded almost everything I had bought, I'm not sure if that makes me a pirate but I don't care I'm sure as hell not going to fork out another 300 to get back music I had paid new album prices for, I haven't purchased an album from itunes since, now I buy CDs, so at least I get a physical copy that will out live my next iphone. I'm not sure the price of the bandwidth to let me redownload was worth losing a paying customer. Another thing that annows me is the playstation stores, they are expecting me to pay £14 pounds to play FF7 for ps1 even though I own the disk and I'm looking at it right now, either charge a reasonable price for a 13yr old game or f*ck off, because I'll just wait for hacks and use an emulator. Or play an emu on my laptop.
You're telling me. It seems like the more they try to wrap this stuff up in layers of protection, the more trouble it causes for the real users who pay for and are therefore subjected to it. Meanwhile the pirates just install the software, copy a crack or run a keygen, and they're good to go. Honestly, if I can't get this damn thing to work legitimately, you can bloody well bet I'm going to hunt for a crack. I paid a crapload of money for this package, I think I'm entitled to use the damn thing no matter how I get it to work. That does suck. However for the past two years or so music has all been DRM-free on the iTunes store, so you can easily back it up without having to worry about losing your authorization to play it. So, whatever you've got now just be sure to keep a backup of it somewhere. Now if only the movie industry would take some damn notes instead if trying to find more ways to heap on the DRM. To a certain degree I can kinda-sorta understand this. Whenever the medium changes it's been pretty standard operating procedure that you'd have to buy it anew. Going from 8-track to cassettes to CDs, VHS to DVD to Blu-Ray, etc. Interoperability between video game console generations is something you don't normally expect -- that's only something we've been seeing recently. However, the PSP is basically a PS1 with some bonuses and so it's compatible with original PS1 games. Problem is, it isn't compatible with the media, so you have to buy it again. I do agree though that their pricing is out of whack with the value of the games for those old PS1 titles -- but you sort of expect that with Sony.
The problem with those old systems though is they went from analogue to digital, so both the storage device and content had changed so it was understandable, but now the content is staying the same but the storage is changing, for example the ff7 DL from plastation store will be an exact copy of my disk(s) which means I'm basically paying to install the content via the modem rather than the diskdrive. The PS3 is perfectly capable of reading the CD and making a copy so I can play it on my PSP,it's just disabled through greed. And when PS4 arrives will I have to buy the game again?
It´just a guess but I presume you are trying to use Pro Tools. In any case at www.duc.digidesign.com you can find a lot of answers for problems concerning iLok, Windows and a stable running system. I am using the iLok since 6 years on a Mac without ANY problems on a (semi) pro working Level. I fact - despite the issue that you are really ****ed if you lose an iLok without an add. insurance - most audio pros welcome it because it negates the issue of entering the 200 serial numbers upon reinstalling the software and things like that. And is also considered to be stable and reliable. Just don´t lose!!! But in the Core of your complain I totally agree with you. DRM punishes the legal customer first.
No, this is an EastWest/Quantum Leap audio package. (Symphonic Choirs with VOTA expansion) Got it for the current project I'm working on; it was either that or Tonehammer Requiem, but this one was a better deal and had some nice features I liked. Plus, Requiem needs Kontakt, which I do not have. I have a feeling I'd probably have had better luck registering it on my Mac. Unfortunately all of my DAW gear is for Windows, so that wouldn't do me much good anyway.
the nice thing with iLok is that it´s independent of platform. So you can register your iLok account, your iLok Key to want to register with your account and d/l your licenses to the iLok, all on the Mac. And d/l the iLok and Pace drivers for Windows, too. Then install those drivers on the PC and install the Quantum Leap Software. This should do the trick. Ahh, I thought you bought a DAW package, not a plug-in. So I thought it was Pro Tools. So, which DAW are you on? I heard of heavier problems with Sonar. If you try to install your plug-in BEFORE you install the iLok drivers, your only hope may be System-Restore. Though the link I gave is mostly for Pro Tools, there is much good indenpendet info there.
I did install the PACE drivers before installing the software, but that didn't seem to do much good, really. I'll give it a go on the Mac and see if that helps any. Maybe if I can at least get it going on the Mac and then plug it into the PC things will be good. The software, music and movie industries seem to love it...
Wow ... okay, it turns out I'm a bit blind. Turns out the drivers weren't enough to get things cooking. I also needed the client software as well. Once I downloaded and installed that it all worked fine. Now why the hell couldn't they bundle the client software with the drivers like, I dunno, every other hardware manufacturer? Yeah, okay, so I didn't read close enough. I presumed, erroneously it seems, that they'd do things in a commonly accepted way. I guess with everything else having not gone the way it should have I should have assumed this wouldn't be like I expected. Oh well. Now I just need to figure out why it isn't producing any sound. (Nothing but problems... *sigh*)
the industry did not invent it if PEOPLE started to pirate their software en mass in the first place. So the industry became oppressive. Their Software their rules. But it´s not that you are FORCED to use their software. It´s the choice of the lesser evil. Like Steam vs SecuRom and UBISOFT Also the above Cartoon of Eduku is funny but totally inadequate to reality. And have you ever thought of the reason why there are locks on cars? NORMAL people WILL steal when every they think they WILL get away with it (even quite literally in this case )
i dunno i never lock my car or my house door. laughs. * it ( automobile) dose lock automatically when i get in it tho. laughs. guess it all depends on your environment. no crime where i live. its snowbird country.. i wont see the old timers for another month.. they come for 5 months then they leave. iv always thought of simple locks as.. its to keep honest people honest. heh chris.
Normal people don't steal. Thieves steal. Thieves are not normal people. DRM treats normal people like thieves. Excessive DRM, like what I've been having to deal with, treats normal people like repeat offenders. It may be their software and their rules, but honest people like me have to waste our time with their convoluted copy protection schemes -- schemes that make it far less likely that I'm going to buy their products in the future. Honestly, I paid hundreds of dollars for this thing, and pirates aren't going to spend that kind of money regardless; if they can't download it free then they just won't bother with it at all. Don't punish me because other people might steal your software.
