Peter Rosser: “I’m not a big fan of DRM, but I do see the business need for it. Microsoft makes a big, inviting target for lawsuits if we even appear to be soft on protecting copy protected content. That doesn’t make me happy, since it attempts to restrict what I can do with ‘my’ content, and no matter how much I am told (and cerebrally understand) that it’s not mine at all, but I’m just licensed to view it, I still persist in thinking of it as ‘mine’. After all, I paid for it! As a consumer, I want complete freedom in what I do with my content. As a stockholder in Microsoft, I want to both protect from lawsuits and grow the consumer market, which seem to be opposing goals.”
“Do you think that Comcast, DirecTV or EchoStar would agree to attach a digital tuner to a PC that can decode their signal without an ironclad guarantee that the content would not just end up on the net? They are terrified of that prospect… and with (arguably) good reason. DRM is what we need to open up PC-based solutions for all of our content. I don’t want to pirate my Comcast Digital Cable feed… but I *do* want to watch it! In high-definition and on my Media Center. If the DRM gets out of my way, and lets me burn a DVD for my collection (hard drives are finite, after all), then I’m game. I don’t care if I can’t just post a video of some HBO movie on the internet. I don’t really have the inclination anyhow.”