Manufacturers of non-computer products are using rights management technology to restrict the supply of aftermarket services such as maintenance and consumables. The Senseo espresso machine is one such example; it utilises what its manufacturer calls ‘protected’ coffee pods that are only compatible with Philips’ own pod system – similar to the way DRM is used on portable music players to prevent alternative codecs being used. Unsurprisingly, the official Senseo pads are rather pricey (much more so than its competitors’).
While various circumvention techniques have been described online, it is clear that such protections make it more difficult for consumers to access cheaper alternative products, such as this one. Publication of information enabling the protections to be circumvented may (at least in the US) give rise to liability under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. It seems regrettable that the Act can be used to restrict aftermarket competition rather than to protect any identifiable copyright work.
Perhaps surprisingly, links to circumvention techniques are shown in search results before the result for the official product. It seems that coffee enthusiasts won’t be ground down that easily…
