The American brand Home Depot is testing a DRM for DIY tools so that they must be activated via Bluetooth at checkout, or they will not work. They hope it will be a solution to discourage theft because these items are difficult to track and have a lot of sale in second-hand markets.
MarketWatch points out that the idea of Home Depot is that the Bluetooth for its activation is in the tools themselves so that if it is stolen from the store it would not turn on. This idea could be adapted to other items such as smart home devices. In addition to preventing theft, stores may not have to store tools in security cabinets.
DRM in your DIY tools
There are already voices that doubt that this system can be easily hackable at home, or that a professional hacker can do it en masse so that the only thing that prevents the theft of tools is the inconvenience of having to deactivate the DRM that has post Home Depot. There are also doubts as to whether the DRM would be for one-time use or if it would be registered to a specific customer and its resale or loan would be prevented.
The issue of DRM in tools for professional use, having alternatives without it has always ended with professionals looking for the cheapest and most comfortable option for them. Years ago the news came out that John Deere had put DRM on their tractors and they could only be repaired with official parts in official workshops, and therefore farmers bought tractors from the 50s.
In addition to what was exposed by skeptical voices, there is the fact of what would happen if Bluetooth is restarted, if the DRM deactivation of the tool is included in an online order to Home Depot ... There are many unknowns for this pilot test, which would have many implications legal and logistical if it is done at the national level.
Source: Gizmodo
