Apple has quietly added a "feature" to their latest round of MacBooks to prevent customers from playing digital rights managed (DRM) movies purchased through their iTunes Store on non-compliant external displays. The goal is to plug the so-called "analog loophole" that would allow someone to record the video output for illegal distribution. [via Wired.com and Matt Mullenweg]

The trouble is that most displays (projectors, televisions and computer monitors) that you would connect to the notebook are not HDCP compatible. This can be added to a long list of moves by computer hardware manufacturers and entertainment industry companies to handcuff the law abiding consumer. It is really difficult for me to understand why the physical or digital media that I purchase cannot be transferred or played on any device with the hardware capability to do so.

In Apple's defense, Steve Jobs wrote an open letter in 2007 to music industry executives stating his company's position on DRM:

So if the music companies are selling over 90 percent of their music DRM-free, what benefits do they get from selling the remaining small percentage of their music encumbered with a DRM system? There appear to be none. If anything, the technical expertise and overhead required to create, operate and update a DRM system has limited the number of participants selling DRM protected music. If such requirements were removed, the music industry might experience an influx of new companies willing to invest in innovative new stores and players. This can only be seen as a positive by the music companies.

Much of his same logic could be applied to the rest of the entertainment industry. As consumers, our only voice in this entire industry paradigm shift is how we spend our money. I believe the best thing we can do is to stay up to speed on these moves and continue to support the platforms that give us the most playback freedom.

Title taken from an industry PSA related to pirated software.