EP 5 | Undoing Our DRM Dystopia with Cory Doctorow

Fight to Repair Podcast

Cory Doctorow explains how corporations are taking advantage of our increasingly computerized world through “digital rights management” to extract profits and restrict repair.

Our world is becoming digitized at breakneck speed, with manufacturers putting internet-connected computers into everyday objects from the lights in our homes to even cars and medical devices. This phenomenon, known as the “Internet-of-Things”, is making our lives more convenient in many ways – but in many cases companies are able to make sure strings are attached long after we make a purchase. Whether its your Epson printer being bricked remotely so you buy a new one or keeping your tractor from receiving third-party repairs, companies are using “digital rights management” (DRM) as powerful tool to control machines long after they are purchased – and with profit in mind. This week, Cory explains how we got to this DRM dystopia and what can be done to avoid a future where every object in our home is ruled by corporations.

News Roundup Links:

• Dutch Are Reducing Waste By Fixing Broken Objects With Online Local Barter Network-And You Can Too
• Citing Danger of “Ink Spills” Epson Programs End of Life for Some Printers
• Why none of my books are available on Audible
• Samsung officially launches self-repair partnership with iFixIt

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Music: Acid Jazz - Kevin MacLeod