The UK government has responded to an online petition calling on all forms of DRM to be banned. The protest was staged via the government's own e-petition website by blogger Neil Holmes, and cited that investigation into DRM by the UK's All Party Parliamentary Internet Group last year. That investigation said that safeguards were needed to protect consumers from intrusive DRMs, and especially DRM technology like the rootkit system infamously used by SonyBMG which potentially damaged user's computers. Holmes petition, signed by over 1400 people, went further, calling for DRM to be banned.
Responding to the petition, the government said that while it recognised consumers' interests must be protected, there were also persuasive arguments to suggest the use of DRM could be in the public interest. In a statement issued earlier this week, they said: "DRM does not only act as a policeman through technical protection measures, it also enables content companies to offer the consumer unprecedented choice in terms of how they consume content, and the corresponding price they wish to pay. It is clear though that the needs and rights of consumers must also be carefully safeguarded. It is reasonable for consumers to be informed what is actually being offered for sale, for example, and how and where the purchaser will be able to use the product, and any restrictions applied".
Which doesn't say anything really. Talking of the government's epetition website, I've been meaning to mention this for ages, but a petition is still live on that site to have the UK's national anthem changed to Spandau Ballet's 'Gold'. Now there's a cause we can get behind. 4578 people have signed up so far, which puts the 1400 who oppose DRM into perspective. You can add your name here:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/goldanthem/