“when I was a bookseller, I didn’t get to break into your house and steal the books I’d sold you, not even if I left some cash on your kitchen table”
PlayStation owners who paid for Warner TV shows got told the videos will be deleted forever, with no refunds. Adobe users lost Pantone colors in their own finished files unless they paid a new monthly fee. Doctorow’s point is that the delete button is the product. Build in a remote downgrade and someone will press it. The “Buy” button on a DRM store means rent until further notice.