After Google Video and Microsoft’s PlayForSure showed what not to do, Yahoo Music decided it wanted to be an example for what not to do in digital media.  Yahoo announced it will discontinue support for its DRM at the end of September, locking DRMed tracks to a single computer.

Microsoft tried to discontinue its PlayForSure DRM a few months ago, but has agreed to leave it up for a few more years.  Google Video discontinued its DRM, offering refunds for all purchases.  Only after some outcry did Yahoo agree to refund customers or provide DRM-free tracks.

All this ends up being expensive for everyone involved, whether its maintaining servers or refunding every customer you’ve ever had. Soon consumers will realize DRM deprives them of value they expect, like owning the music tracks they paid for.  Of course, consumers can always go to file-sharing networks which are free and DRM-free. That’s the competition, remember.

Shameless plug: I’ll be at the Flow Conference Oct. 9th in Austin, Tex. speaking on a roundtable about music and DRM in case anyone’s in the area.