CivicActions

When the Free Software Foundation came to us in the spring of 2006, they were in the process of redrafting the General Public License (GPL). The new version, GPLv3, would take a hard line on the issue of Digital Rights Management. The FSF wanted to increase public awareness of DRM and shift the discourse from the media industry's frame of "protecting content creators" to the dangers of a world where all content and information are locked down with digital restrictions.

We worked with the FSF to develop the concept for a campaign that would organize technologists to take direct action both on- and off-line to spread the message that DRM represents a danger to free culture and computer users' privacy. DefectiveByDesign.org was born.

The campaign targets Big Media, unhelpful manufacturers and DRM distributors aiming to make all manufacturers wary about bringing their DRM-enabled products to market. DRM products have features built-in that restrict what jobs they can do. These products have been intentionally crippled from the users' perspective, and are therefore "defective by design". DefectiveByDesign.org's aim is the abolition of DRM.

In the first six months over ten thousand users signed up for the site and took part in online actions against the RIAA and record labels. Hundreds participated in "real world" actions at Apple stores and a Windows conference and Microsoft Vista Launch events. Many more have planned and executed their own actions at colleges, high schools and workplaces around the world.

As a result of DefectiveByDesign.org's efforts, DRM is now often referred to as "anti-consumer", or "controversial" when mentioned in news reports. On April 2nd, 2006, EMI records and Apple announced they would begin offering EMI music free of DRM on the iTunes Music Store. The announcement followed a one month campaign targeting Steve Jobs to take action to end DRM.