Razor42 posted at 11:00PM Sun, 01 November 2015 - #4236440

Fair enough, but doesn't the latest version of Poser include DRM? (EDIT: I see you only referred to content)

But hey, whatever keeps you rendering ;)

Actually there in no encrypted only content at Daz3D at the moment either...

Your second point first: you're right, there isn't any encrypted content at DAZ 3D currently, but that will change, and likely as soon as DAZ can make it. According to DAZ_Rawb and others, anything that passes through DAZ Connect will have key files encrypted, even the older pre-DRM content. The DAZ moderators keep saying that the ZIPs and downloads via DIM will remain intact, but they also quickly add that they can't make any promises about future developments -- which is a rather obvious fudge; it also requires a lot of trust on the customer's part that, personally, I don't think DAZ deserves. I think they'll s***-can the ZIPs and DIM and drive everyone to use DAZ Connect as quickly as possible.

As to your first point, the only reference to DRM within Poser that I can find is the fact that the software may know whether or not it's an illegal copy, and either shut itself down and/or dial home to Smith Micro to report the theft, which is pretty typical software security. Software serial keys are about as universal and unintrusive as you can get, and if you're using a pirated copy of Poser, Max, Photoshop, or whatever, you're a dirt-bag and too damn bad for you if it locks you out or calls the IP cops on you. I've personally been locked out of legally-purchased software a time or two, so I have first-hand experience that it does occur accidentally.

The difference with most programs is that any protection is APPLICATION-BASED, not CONTENT-BASED, as it will be with DS 4.9+. If my copy of 3ds Max suddenly decides that I'm not authorized to run the program, I can still open my files (assuming they're in the proper format, of course) in Maya or Lightwave or Blender; if my copy of Photoshop suddenly decides that I'm a pirate, I can still access my content via GIMP or CorelDRAW or whatever 2D paint program supports Photoshop protocols. But if DS4.9+ decides that I'm not an authorized user, I'm up S*** Creek, because the CONTENT will be encrypted, and no other application will have the means to access that content.

And if the content is encrypted, you don't own it and you don't control it -- you're at the mercy of whoever did the encrypting (in this case, DAZ). Doesn't matter if it's movies, music, books, games, or 3D assets -- I'm not paying good money to put myself in that position.