[ via Arnold Kling ] Cal Berkeley (by way of Michigan) microeconomics guru Hal Varian reviews some recent uses of DRM, such as phones which won’t work unless you buy the right brand of battery, or printers that shut down if you refill the inkjet cartridge, and worries how this will affect us poor saps who have to use these products:
Manufacturers invest heavily in research and development to discover new uses for their products. But the users are often better innovators. After all, the users are closer to the problem: they rely on the products every day for a variety of tasks in a variety of environments, so it is not surprising that they come up with uses the manufacturer never thought of.
I’m sorry Dave, but that’s not an OEM cupholder. I’m going to depressurize the crew compartment as specified in the EULA.
