Back Up Your Digital Downloads

If you purchase digital content such as music or movies, be sure to read the terms and conditions carefully. The new Wal-Mart video download service has a prominent "backup" button, with advice on backing up content to an external drive or DVD. From the Wal-Mart enduser license agreement:

On occasion, technical and other problems may delay or prevent delivery of your Content. Your exclusive and sole remedy with respect to Content that is not delivered within a reasonable period will be either replacement of such Content, or refund of the fee paid for such Content, as determined by WALMART.COM in its sole discretion. WALMART.COM will not replace the Content if you are unable to view it or if you lose the Content, including if the file becomes damaged or corrupt, your computer crashes, your hard drive fails or the Content does not play for any other reason.

Here's a quick rundown of other digital download services:

iTunes: "Be sure to make regular backups of your purchased files. If your hard disk becomes damaged or you lose a purchased item, you'll have to buy it again."

Amazon Unbox: "If you uninstall or otherwise remove the Software, your ability to view all Digital Content you have downloaded to the Authorized Device will immediately and automatically terminate and we reserve the right to delete all Digital Content from that Authorized Device without notice to you."

MovieLink: "Once you have successfully downloaded a copy of Retained Content, Movielink will not replace the Retained Content if you are unable to play it or if you lose the Retained Content including if the file becomes damaged or corrupt, your computer crashes, your hard drive fails or the Retained Content does not play for any other reason."

CinemaNow: "You acknowledge that use of content may require the use of other hardware and software products and that such hardware and software is your responsibility. Once you rent or purchase a copy of content and you receive it, it is your responsibility not to lose, destroy, or damage the content, and CinemaNow shall be without liability to you in the event of any loss, destruction, or damage."

It's a good idea to backup your computer on a regular basis, but if you invest in digital content you have a lot to lose if your system crashes.

Comments

[type-cast]

How pathetic these services are. eMusic does all they can to protect your investment. You can always re-download a song unless they no longer carry the material. They don't use an insulting 128k ABR encoder like iTunes. They use LAME VBR - the open MP3 codec that's the de-facto standard among users. I would never deal with a company that insults me with DRM and refuses to let me re-downlad material at any time. It shows the crummy terms they get from RIAA music and MPAA movies. Boycott it.

[Kimberly]

Actually, while Apple says that's their policy, if you beg them over the phone, they'll let you re-download everything you've ever purchased from them. That's because there are reasonable people working at Apple. I generally can't say the same for Walmart.

[gir]

As far as I'm concerned, potential loss of everything you've purchased is one of the scariest things about buying protected content online.

Backups help, but not enough. Many DRM schemes limit the number of devices you can use to play your content. Poorly implemented DRM won't even allow you to 'retire' a device. Even so, whether you use up your device allotment through device failures or through an inability to retire, eventually you won't be able to play your protected content anymore.

I'm sure the content owners love this built-in obsolescence, but to me it's a public-relations time bomb waiting to go off, and one of the many reasons I avoid purchasing anything with DRM. The only good solution is to get rid of DRM.

[Rusty Ramrod]

Let me make one observation: The *vast* majority of people do/will not backup their personal data, period. Most don't have a clue how to and of those that do, 99% of them won't.

They have good intentions mind you, but Billy’s ballgame or Jody’s gymnastics takes precedence over some nerdy thing like making a backup copy.

Only until they lose 3 years worth of digital photos does it soak in and then only for a month or so.

I make a tidy living recovering people stuff. Virtually every one of them purchases a backup solution *after* they have the meltdown. When they leave here, they have a robust, automatic system in place to do their backups. They also leave with a stern lecture about making offsite backups, but I'm guess most don't.

I won't go off on a DRM rant, but suffice to say if people would just not buy DRM protected content it would go away. It is simple as that. I do my part, but I'm only one guy.

Rest secure in the fact that a month or less after some new DRM scheme is hatched there will be a way to properly make backups. One must become a criminal to do so, but just like prohibition, I have faith common sense and the people will prevail in the end.

I saw another thread about Job’s wanting DRM to go away. Yeah, right! Apple is a hardware company these days. They don’t make sh*t off iTunes, they make it off iPods. There is *no way* they want the DRM that *locks* people into buying iPods over and over to go away.

My iPod houses thousands of songs. All standard MP3. None, not even a single one, is encumbered with DRM. Never has, never will, ever.

If the music industry would just allow retailers to emulate allofmp3.com even Mr. Rusty would consider buying songs from them. Present the information to me in a well thought out manner, let me choose exactly what I want and let me use it as I see fit. Please me, the customer, and I will reward you with my hard earned dollar.

[RedStateGuy]

Have to agree with all the comments here. Don't do iTunes, or any other DRM-protected service. If you're gonna make me pay for it, it's mine to do with as I choose--like any other consumer item--so long as I don't abuse that right. If I wanted to essentially "lease" content, I'd subscribe to PPV or premium movie channels.

[type-cast]

They should at least let you re-download all your content for a nominal fee. Charge a few cents for the bandwidth maybe. You shouldn't have to you buy content all over again. I've had songs just disappear after I downloaded. It's nice to know that you're protected with eMusic and you don't have to beg anyone over the phone if your hard drive crashes or your computer is stolen or your house burns down.

[type-cast]

"Apple is a hardware company these days. They don’t make sh*t off iTunes, they make it off iPods. There is *no way* they want the DRM that *locks* people into buying iPods over and over to go away."

That argument doesn't hold up, Rusty. Apple makes more money if you can play music from anywhere on the iPod. They don't sell iPods BECAUSE of the music store. They sell iPods BECAUSE it's a good player. The music store has very little impact. As Jobs even stated, more than 90% of the songs on the iPod come from people ripping CDs or downloading MP3s. Saying they want DRM isn't honest.

The only reason they have DRM is because the studios demand it. DRM doesn't benefit Apple or the public at all. Apple could stop using DRM, and could stop selling iPods, and their iPods would still be selling like hot-cakes. The way to beat DRM is to not buy it, as you said. If nobody bought DRM songs/movies, the studios would have to wake up from the dream of world DRMination. Steve Jobs isn't making money by selling music. He's not selling any more iPods. That's the type of argument we'd expect from Aron, not you.

[type-cast]

"Apple could stop using DRM, and could stop selling iPods, and their iPods would still be selling like hot-cakes."

Sorry, I meant they could stop selling MUSIC, not iPods.