Why DRM doesn't work

A hacker named Arnezami one day got angry because a commercial copy of a HD-DVD movie that che legally purchased would not play on chez HD-DVD player due to the AACS DRM. Well che in the process of hacking the DRM found the processing code that would allow access to play every HD-DVD and BluRay disk made. Posting this key on Doom9 was immediately followed by a Cease and Desist letter from AACS. I certainly would have guessed this, it was certainly inevitable from a historic standpoint. These Cease and Desists followed this 16 digit number around the internet, but of course not as fast as it was spreading and the lawyers chasing it only made it hotter news, and eventually a whole meme. So the news is out, the DRM that took years to create was cracked in weeks due to the DRM causing a problem for a paying consumer. Okay, guess what guys, this is why DRM will not work. You will never ever be able to keep people who want to steal your stuff from stealing your stuff, that is your base loss margin and they were people that would have rather not had your product than pay a single penny for it so it really never was a loss. The secret is to make it harder to steal it than not steal. As soon as you make it painful for lawful consumers, you will lose a huge percentage of those consumers who will decide to steal it instead just out of sheer frustration, which increases your loss margin. If you were smart, you'd charge for it, but actually let your consumers own it hassle free at that point. That's how you'll reel those profits into your greedy little hands, you actually ... you know ... play nice and divert all those years spent fruitlessly trying to deter thieves into making your consumers happier. Sounds simple huh?

-Aaron