Posted on 11/14/2013 9:26:49 PM PST by JerseyanExile
Forget extra cup holders or power windows: the new Renault Zoe comes with a “feature” that absolutely nobody wants. Instead of selling consumers a complete car that they can use, repair and upgrade as they see fit, Renault has opted to lock purchasers into a rental contract with a battery manufacturer and enforce that contract with digital rights management (DRM)restrictions that can remotely prevent the battery from charging at all.
We’ve long joined makers and tinkerers in warning that, as software becomes a part of more and more everyday devices, DRM and the legal restrictions on circumventing it will create hurdles to standard repairs and even operation. In the US, a car manufacturer who had wrapped its onboard software in technical restrictions could argue that attempts to get around those are in violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) — specifically section 1201, the notorious “anti-circumvention” provisions. These provisions make it illegal for users to circumvent DRM or help others do so, even if the purpose is perfectly legal otherwise. Similar laws exist around the world, and are even written into some international trade agreements — including, according to a recently leaked draft, the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement.
Since the DMCA became law in 1998, Section 1201 has resulted in countless unintended consequences. It has chilled innovation, stifled the speech of legitimate security researchers, and interfered with consumer rights. Section 1201 came under particular fire this year because it may prevent consumers from unlocking their own phones to use with different carriers. After a broadly popular petition raised the issue, the White House acknowledged that the restriction is out of line with common sense.
(Excerpt) Read more at gizmodo.com.au ...
you just don’t buy cars with drm. period.
i will be able to buy used cars i like until i die, not worried at all.
DRM usually gets hacked roughly 10 minutes after it is released.
In this world so crazy with lawsuits, could Renault be doing that so people don’t use some other battery that would be a greater safety hazard, incur a fire, and then sue Renault over it?
So I had to buy a Mazda battery.
An early precursor to DRM.
That’s a part of it, some yahoo swapping in higher amperage batteries is liable to fry the car and himself
Also, being an electric City Car, the market for power train modding ain’t gonna be big.
That being said I hope my Renault Sport Megane doesn’t have drm buried in its screaming engine
Why didn’t you just change the terminal cables?????
I had a couple of Fords like that, took a half hour or more to change the battery in the cold of winter. I thought about an “Elvis” solution several times. Elvis shot his 1971 Pantera with the Ford engine three times, LOL. He’ll always be the king.
Good luck tryin to get sales chumps!
Relax everyone. This Zoe is a pure electric car. Anyone who buys one deserves the DRM.
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