Digital locks that let companies decide what you do with stuff you technically bought.
means Technical protection measures built into software, games, movies, or ebooks that limit how you can use, copy, modify, or share them after purchase.
from Born from the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) in 1998, when Hollywood panicked about internet piracy and convinced Congress to legally ban circumventing copy protection—even for legitimate uses. The tech industry ran with it.
kindle books — Amazon can remotely delete purchased content from devices (erased 1984 copies in 2009)
game console games — PS5 games unplayable after Sony's licensing deals expire with publishers
adobe creative suite — Can't use pre-2023 versions if you stop paying subscription; features vanish