by Nick
Monday, August 13, 2007 9:18 AM
I've talked many times before about how I don't like Digital Rights Management schemes, mostly because it makes it too hard for me to use what I purchased and now own. It feels too much like a rental scheme, where one day I'll find that my hardware won't play my music one day, or the company that created the DRM will suddenly disappear, taking my music with it. Here is a perfect example of this:
Google Inc. is shutting down a service that sold and rented online video, ending a 19-month experiment doomed by the proliferation of free clips on other websites like the Internet search leader's YouTube subsidiary.
...
Google has been selling the right to watch a wide range of video, including sports, music and news, since January 2006. Most of the video sold for anywhere from a couple US dollars to $20. Customers could pay less to "rent" the right to watch a selected video for a day or buy the show so it would be available to watch indefinitely.
...
Google spokesman Gabriel Strickler said the refunds won't materially affect the company, which has $12.5 billion in cash. Strickler declined to reveal how many people bought video through Google.
Basically Google is going to give "store credit", and hopefully you'll like something else at their store which you can then buy. Seems like a raw deal to me, which is why I still stick to DVD's and MP3's for my video and music needs.
Via Slashdot.