DRM and lost customers

I have long thought that one of many reasons why media companies are so keen to limit what their customers can do with what they purchase, using DRM (digital restrictions management), is that their marketing research measures what people do much better than what they choose not to do.

Just for once, and I probably will never get around to doing such a thing again, I wrote to a company for whom I so very nearly became a customer. This is what I wrote:

I was all set to subscribe to Audible, partly because there was a CD I searched for on Amazon - when I found I would have to install some software on my computer.

I don't have a sacrificial computer to risk with software that must inevitably try to take over some control of my computer, and will probably slow it down or cause other problems, even if it is nowhere near as bad as the Sony rootkit. And, of course, I don't want a piece of software trying to boss me around about when and where I can listen to whatever tracks I purchase - specially if I am traveling and don't have an internet connection.

If you ever decide just to sell audio tracks, in the same way as I recently bought the latest Iron Maiden album from 7 digital, then I suggest that you advertise this widely, because I can't be the only person unwilling to risk installing software I don't trust on my computer. You might gain an influx of customers, likely including me.

Meanwhile I will probably buy the CD, even if it is a bit less environmentally friendly than a file.