this post was submitted on 14 Mar 2024
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The subscription model for features on a car is shitty for a host of reasons, but at least they're still offering the option to buy them outright like normal. If you really value ownership then at least you can purchase the car and buy these addons up front.
I'm going to go against the grain here and say I do see why they think doing this could be attractive to customers. I'd wager to say that ownership of their vehicle isn't a priority, just look at how many people lease their cars now vs buying outright. This is a market that will have the car and replace it within 3 years. So these type of people may purchase upfront an extra they absolutely do care about and must have, but if there's something else they're a bit unsure of, they could leave it off, get the subscription for a month to try it, and then decide if they want to continue on a longer plan to keep the feature.
The problem isn't just the subscription model itself, the problem is the means by which they enforce it: by infecting your car with DRM.
When you buy a thing, you're supposed to own that thing, which means you have every right to modify it in any way you see fit -- including to "unlock" any physical capabilities of it that aren't enabled to begin with.
What these car companies -- even ones offering to unlock your property for a "one-time" fee -- are doing is trying to destroy your property rights, and that ought to be entirely unacceptable to everyone.
I hear you, but the vast majority of Audi customers just won't care about this DRM or property rights on their car. If they're leasing then it's irrelevant as it's never their car in the first place. It just won't even be something that they even consider.
What their customers will care about is the fact that they don't have to financially commit to getting an "optional extra" up front, but instead can pick and choose when they want to use it.
Yeah, that's why the correct solution is legislative: the DMCA needs to be repealed and the practice of hijacking people's property with DRM needs to be outlawed instead.