MLB Fans Who Bought DRM Videos Get Hosed

Billosaur writes "Major League Baseball has just strengthened the case against DRM. If you downloaded videos of baseball games from MLB.com before 2006, apparently they no longer work and you are out of luck. MLB.com, sometime during 2006, changed their DRM system. Result: game videos purchased before that time will now no longer work, as the previous DRM system is no longer supported. When the video is played, apparently the MLB.com servers are contacted and a license obtained to verify the authenticity of the video; this is done by a web link. That link no longer exists, and so now the videos will no longer play, even though the MLB FAQ says that a license is only obtained once and will not need to be re-obtained. The blogger who is reporting this contacted MLB technical support, only to be told there are no refunds due to this problem."

Yea that's a shame...

[Wolvie MkM]

Excuse me while I enjoy my NHL feed on YouTube :)

One more reason...

[capt.Hij]

This is one more reason not to pay money to watch grown men sweat a lot and scratch themselves. A few more of things like this and I am going to just give it up completely.

hmmm.

[apodyopsis]

In a highly litigious culture, about a sport which borders on an obsession, about access perceived as a right...?

I predict the big winners in this one will be the lawyers....

I wish I had that kind of time

[Schlemphfer]

DRM sucks, and inevitiably produces unfair situations like this, where legitimate licencees get screwed. But having said that, what kind of person has so much time on their hands that they would ever want to watch a baseball game from previous seasons? And I thought posting to Slashdot was a time waste ;)

Whoa now...

[Chairboy]

I'm pretty sure we're not allowed to talk about this without the express written consent of Major League Baseball.

Re:Too bad it won't affect many...

[rootofevil]

duh, this is slashdot. wild speculation of those that clothe themselves in tinfoil is taken as the gospel truth, no questions asked.

Re:Too bad it won't affect many...

[freshmayka]

Yeah BUT...

If it was 20 CHILDREN then my god something must be done! WHAT about the children?!?!

Yes, but...

[n0dna]

It's MLB.

The videos already wouldn't play if it was Cold. Or Raining. Or Night. Or Outside.

MLB Strikes Out Fans Who Bought DRM Videos

[Shadow Wrought]

Fixed the headline for you.

Re:Too bad it won't affect many...

[Opportunist]

He said "fact", can't you read? This is the internet, when someone says "fact" it has to be.

For reference, see "obviously".

Re:Translation?

[Anonymous Coward]

If the product is defective by design, and you buy it, and it turns out to be defective, the product is working as intended. I don't see what the problem is.

Re:Whoa now...

[dgatwood]

Do you have the express written consent of Major League Baseball and the American Broadcasting Company?

Just ABC.

*sound of gunfire*

Re:A Slow Death

[mike260]

When the media companies finally get their way and Joe and Jane Sixpack can no longer freely re-watch "It's a Wonderful Life" to their heart's desire every holiday season, there will be outrage.

Angry mob: "Hey! Where are those digital rights we gave you to manage? We want them back!"
Jimmy Stewart: "Well I don't have your rights here, they're in Bill's house, and in Steve's house..."

Re:Whoa now...

[trb]

They gave me express written consent, but it's in this document that I can't read any more.

Re:Translation?

[ubrgeek]

Steve Ballmer reads Slashdot?!?? *grin*

Re:One more reason...

[Eccles]

I've bought "Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms" 4 times now.

Talk about your "Money for Nothing"!

Re:One more reason...

[Anonymous Coward]

... but at least the chicks were free.

(btw, weren't you supposed to just want your MTV and be happy with that?)

Re:One more reason...

[Belgand]

Yet another reason to invest exclusively in prints.

I mean, OK it's a hell of a lot less convenient to carry around the five massive cans compared to one DVD and I either have to string them all together and break them down again or get up every fifteen minutes to switch reels. Not to mention the problems in archiving the damn things correctly, but dammit I'm getting all my pixels! That is, until the restoration prints come out....

Re:One more reason...

[Selivanow]

But...But...But...doesn't the FBI warning tell me that the Video Cassette/Video Disc/Whatever is licensed for home use only and if I even attempt to view it with anyone except/including my immediate family then I will be fined $1,000,000,000....sent to ass-raping prison...sentenced to death or all three?

Re:A Slow Death

[SynapseLapse]

...especially when the alternative is suffering the look from Wife 2.0 (I upgraded to the model with the nicer case) when, Cthulhu forbid, she can't watch Dancing with the Stars because of some HDMI BS.

Completely off-topic, but I think using phrases suchs as "Wife 2.0" and "I upgraded to the model with the nicer case" are the real reasons you get that look in the first place.