...SecuROM or any other name, if all it does is disk check, in theory i have no problem with that. The whole problem begins when it might start acting on genuine products, saying they aren't,or that it doesn't detect the disk even. So, in this case, the concept isn't that bad or even outlandish (disk on drive per si was/is common somewhat, even if we prefer the commodity of needing none), but a possible problem of buggy software. And in this case, if it stops you short of playing a genuine game, yes it is evil. But if it doesn't happen, all fine. For long as it doen't try to phone home on a internetless pc... again, in this case, i find it subjective.
But i remain on my general opinion up there, many people started calling DRM to anything that moves. That is not accurate and could be misleading.

I simply go by the term Digital Rights Management. Anything that Manages your Rights to playing the game is DRM or Copy Protection. So, while most say Impulse in not DRM it does Manage your Rights by forcing you to install an application to update/patch your legally purchased software. It is a soft form of DRM, but make no mistake it is DRM.

Dumb Rights Management, more like. Even though I hate DRM, these days I don't have a choice. Most of my favorite games are DRMed, Steam is DRMed, and even all the games that don't have it will have some other restriction that I don't know about that will end up biting me in the ass. A list of DRM Free games (other than GOG, duh) and places to get them would be welcome.

That's sort of what I was driving at... a disc-check could be considered DRM, since it forces you to provide proof you own the game via disc everytime you want to play.
I think standing firm against any and all DRM is a quick way to make yourself look fringe, not that I am saying anyone actually IS fringe. It's better to advocate for DRM that offers benefits to the consumer and doesn't hinder our ability to play our games anywhere and anytime beyond a reasonanle degree.

OT: anyone know a way to get Chaos theory that doesn't involve DRM/Starforce and is available outside the US/UK?

Both games by Ethereal Darkness Interactive , The Lost City of Malathedra and Morning's Wrath, are DRM free as stated on each games' page:
AFAIK, Knights of the Chalice contains no DRM but someone who has actually bought it could verify this.

Steam version doesn't have Starforce, but it does have... STEAM.

Ewww!

A few more DRM-free indie games:
- Crayon Physics Deluxe (Kloonigames)
- And Yet It Moves (Broken Rules)
- Aquaria (Bit Blot)
- All games by Zombie Cow Studios

DRM is not copy protection; heck you can copy your Steam games or your i-Tune movies 2'000'000 times if you want without any problems... you might not be able to play them but nothing prevent you from copying them as much as you want.
And on the other side Copy Protection is not DRM, if you have the game with the original CD you will be able to play the game forever (as long as you have compatible hardware of course) without the right owner being able to do anything about it.
Like it's name indicate DRM is all about giving the copyright owner the ability to manage and decide which rights he will temporarily grants you, under which circumstance and for how long.
If tomorow Valve decide to remove you access to all your Steam games they can (technically at least), if tomorow Bethesda decide that you no longer have the right to play the retail version of Fallout 3 (protected with a simple CD check) there is absolutely nothing they can do about it.
That's a big difference, that's the reason why some peoples like me can tolerate a standard CD-check (as long as it doesn't destroy their computer) but are 100% against DRM.
Concerning Impulse, well technically Impulse is not a DRM otherwise you will have to consider GoG downloader as being a DRM too.. however most of the games sold on Impulse contains DRM be it Goo, Stardock "nameless" DRM, or others. But you can find on Impulse some 100% DRM-free games (Braid, Puzzle Quest, etc...)

Actually, if you just boot the Fallout3.EXE file from the FO3 folder -- or say take that EXE and create a shortcut and throw that on your desktop (or wherever floats your boot) -- INSTEAD of running the game from the Autorun (FalloutLauncer.EXE), the game will boot without Securom DRM check.

Copy Protection is most certainly a form - albeit very mild - of DRM. It prevents you from making a backup copy of your game (something that is granted as a consumer right in many places, including the US*). This also prevents you from installing the game on more than one of your machines and playing it unless you haul your disc around with you. While the latter is just an annoyance, the former is every bit as much of a restriction and management of your rights as limited installs and on-line activations.
*unfortunately for the people in the US, the DMCA overrides that right. But that right still exists.

DRM/Copy protection is not about preventing the simple duplication of bits (good luck doing that), it's about trying to prevent people from being able to make functional copies of programs. Thus both DRM and Copy Protection are pretty much synonymous, although the terms are quite broad which often leads to confusion and misconceptions when people simply associate specific types of DRM with the general terms rather than taking the time to understand the specifics of the various DRM/Copy protection systems out there.

Hey guys, I run this site :) I had someone from this thread e-mail me requesting confirmation, but I'm not sure if it made it's way back here or not. DRM is up to the author -- since we're indie games, we're almost completely DRM free. Only one of our games has DRM (Qwak) -- the author wrote his own DRM for it, but it's pretty much invisible. Otherwise the program just functions as a downloader, but you're free to run the games directly (or make personal backups of them to a cd or whatever).
Hope that helps :)

I was about purchase a game but it appeared to need an Installer to run the game so I backed away. I admit I am committed to no DRM games on my system, and I do not even want to have to install an installer to run a game. I updated my first post, but I am still a bit unclear as to the need for an installer to load the games or not.