I'm happy they heard the message and proposed a real money back solution for the customers. This should be a good example to show DRM proponents (BTW, R should stand for *Restrictions*, not Rights) how not only the customers are screwed, but also the provider, should he decide to do the right thing and make a full refund. Google not only didn't make money on paid videos, but they lost a good chunk, if you count the refunds, Google Checkout coupons and engineering effort to incorporate DRM into the player. |
This is what I mean when when I said that it's a google value to move quickly on things. And it's nice that Google listened to the feedback from its users.
But on a larger perspective, what happened with Google Video is a good example of why using DRM is something that's very much against the interest of the users. And that the DRM model is not really working in the way that the media companies are hoping it to be.
This is a really good response from Google, and also highlights another important point: a walled garden is bad for the users, forcing users to use Google checkout was really a mistake. |