Bitcoin DRM behind price increase?

[the founder]

http://www.tribbleagency.com/?p=8332

The real underlying rumor that is starting to gain strength, a unnamed party is adopting bitcoins for a NON-currency application.

Some are floating “Bitcoin DRM” for a large video game maker. Where (if you believe the rumors) each video game is shipped with (for example) 5 bitcoins, each install sends out a single bitcoin, since double spending is impossible, the most that CD can be installed is 5 times before it cannot send out a bitcoin to activate it.

If one wants to install the game for the 6th time, a bitcoin must be funded, hence the publisher is paid for the 6th install.

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[tysat]

That would definitely help the bitcoin economy if DRM like that was put into place.  It'll be interesting to see if anyone does ever do it, though it would have to be with smaller amounts than listed in the example.

[the founder]

It could be the game is shipped with a fraction of a bitcoin, and each install sends a fraction of a fraction...   but the process is of course identical

[evoorhees]

That is SUPER cool... I hadn't heard of that yet.

[DeathAndTaxes]

That system is easily defeated.

HOW do you prevent the game from being installed unless you spend a coin?  If they could solve that problem you could do it with no coins simply only allow an authorized install.

[piuk]

http://www.tribbleagency.com/?p=8332

The real underlying rumor that is starting to gain strength, a unnamed party is adopting bitcoins for a NON-currency application.

Some are floating “Bitcoin DRM” for a large video game maker. Where (if you believe the rumors) each video game is shipped with (for example) 5 bitcoins, each install sends out a single bitcoin, since double spending is impossible, the most that CD can be installed is 5 times before it cannot send out a bitcoin to activate it.

If one wants to install the game for the 6th time, a bitcoin must be funded, hence the publisher is paid for the 6th install.

This really isn't any help against crackers, they can still edit the binary to remove the validation code.

[tysat]

This isn't really any help against crackers, they can still edit the binary to remove the validation code.

What you said is true, but it's also a better idea than other forms of DRM that are out there.

[Gabi]

+1 to what piuk said, this won't stop piracy, this will only make people who buy original games think "wtf i buy an original game and i must endure all these idiocies while a pirate play for free and without any problems"

+

if it's true, then well, BUY BUY BUY

[ineededausername]

This isn't really any help against crackers, they can still edit the binary to remove the validation code.

What you said is true, but it's also a better idea than other forms of DRM that are out there.

Pirates can always edit the binary, but by using Bitcoin DRM you can stop them from using something as simple as a keygen to circumvent DRM restrictions.

[piuk]

What you said is true, but it's also a better idea than other forms of DRM that are out there.

But like all existing forms of DRM it won't prevent piracy and will only serve to inconvenience genuine users.

Pirates can always edit the binary, but by using Bitcoin DRM you can stop them from using something as simple as a keygen to circumvent DRM restrictions.

Only cheap software uses client side keys because of it's simplicity and no requirement for any extra infrastructure.  This solution is complex and only provides only equal protection to server side validation of product keys.

[ineededausername]

What you said is true, but it's also a better idea than other forms of DRM that are out there.

But like all existing forms of DRM it won't prevent piracy and will only serve to inconvenience genuine users.

+1.  However, we can't stop them from doing it, and it will generate some publicity for bitcoin.

[DeathAndTaxes]

This isn't really any help against crackers, they can still edit the binary to remove the validation code.

What you said is true, but it's also a better idea than other forms of DRM that are out there.

Pirates can always edit the binary, but by using Bitcoin DRM you can stop them from using something as simple as a keygen to circumvent DRM restrictions.

You can already use existing DRM which renders keygens ineffective.

Simply use remote authentication and there is no algorithm to build a keygen from.  Using blockchain and bitcoins doesn't improve any security over a centralized security server.

The only thing remote authentication servers is make pirates move from distributing a keygen (click -> key) to distributing a patcher (click -> patch).

[Gabi]

Pirates happily cracked Ubisoft's drm, even the online required ones, that required a connection with their server.

Do someone really think the "btc drm" will change anything?

[Mike Hearn]

In fairness, Ubisofts protection was bizarrely weak given that the foundational idea was quite good. The crack I saw didn't seem to need some basic things you'd expect. Designing copy protection is more of an art than a science unfortunately.

There doesn't seem to be much you can do to combine Bitcoin+DRM, and I have an interest in both.

[Mousepotato]

Damn, 5 Bitcoins is going to have a huge impact on the price of a DVD.

[BadBear]

Damn, 5 Bitcoins is going to have a huge impact on the price of a DVD.

5 was just used as an example, nice round number.  Instead of confusing people with fractions. 

[P4man]

makes no sense at all.
Aside from the more fundamental issues already addressed, if it works with 1 BTC, there is no reason it wouldnt work with 0.0000001 BTC. The impact of such amounts on the exchange rates would be about zero if for a top game.

[fornit]

In fairness, Ubisofts protection was bizarrely weak given that the foundational idea was quite good. The crack I saw didn't seem to need some basic things you'd expect. Designing copy protection is more of an art than a science unfortunately.

There doesn't seem to be much you can do to combine Bitcoin+DRM, and I have an interest in both.

omg, my personal "bitcoin developer of 2011"-award-winner likes DRM. O-M-G.

maybe you wanna watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUEvRyemKSg
even if you cant agree, he is an enjoyable speaker even though he always says gemeral instead of general 

[Shuai]

It's a idiotic system that won't prevent piracy, and will arbitrarily punish customers way more than any other DRM ever invented (wait for x confirmations before you can play the game BECAUSE LOL), and even if it was implemented it would have no impact on the bitcoin price (as already mentioned). I refuse to believe anyone is doing or will do anything like this.

[Mousepotato]

Plus it requires the media player to be connected to the internet, no?