DRM in TIG welders

Cory Doctorow 3:40 am Tue Nov 17, 2015

Some of Miller's TIG welding power supplies come intentionally crippled, locking out many useful functions until you buy a $400 SD card.

It's a good example of how laws that prohibit "circumvention" (breaking a digital lock) are an invitation to companies to indulge in abusive business practices. Under section 1201 of the DMCA, it's a felony to break the kind of locks that Miller uses. That means that, rather than selling you property that is as useful as possible, manufacturers can deliberately shackle their devices and then outsource the enforcement of those shackles to the taxpayers.

(Thanks, Amul!)

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