If the only word you recognize in the title is Wal-Mart, this post is for you.  Not long ago I got an email from Wal-Mart informing me that the music I purchased from their music store a couple years ago was going to stop working.  Now, let's stop and think about this.  When is the last time you bought an appliance or home furnishing that suddenly stopped working through no fault of your own or mechanical break down.  My music files are perfectly good.  My computer runs perfectly fine.  I've backed-up my files to ensure against this.  But, beyond all my care, Wal-Mart is going to flip a switch and my music stops working.

Now, for the time, Wal-Mart has reversed their decision, but that doesn't mean this problem could happen again.  Heck, all it would take is a fire/tornado/earthquake at their server and my files stop working.  DRM is evil.  Something will have to change.

XKCD put it best... 

Now, I don't support pirating.  I don't believe it's right.  But DRM does place the world in a strange position.