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<title>Proprietary Obsolescence - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title>
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<h2>Proprietary Obsolescence</h2>
<div class="infobox">
<hr class="full-width" />
<p>Nonfree (proprietary) software is very often malware (designed to
mistreat the user). Nonfree software is controlled by its developers,
which puts them in a position of power over the users; <a
href="/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html">that is the
basic injustice</a>. The developers and manufacturers often exercise
that power to the detriment of the users they ought to serve.</p>
<p>This typically takes the form of malicious functionalities.</p>
<hr class="full-width" />
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<div class="article">
<p>Programmed obsolescence is one of the malicious functionalities that
may be designed into proprietary software.</p>
<p>Computer technology inevitably has an environmental impact, but
proprietary software makes it worse because it is often designed to lead
or pressure users to discard devices sooner because support for them has
ceased, or to discard defective hardware which could have been made
repairable.</p>
<p>Here are examples of proprietary programs that make hardware devices
prematurely obsolete.</p>
<div class="important">
<p>If you know of an example that ought to be in this page but isn't
here, please write
to <a href="mailto:webmasters@gnu.org"><webmasters@gnu.org></a>
to inform us. Please include the URL of a trustworthy reference or two
to serve as specific substantiation.</p>
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<p><a
href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/05/pleas-for-open-sourcing-refunds-as-spotify-plans-to-brick-car-thing-devices/">Spotify
sold a music streaming device but they no longer support it</a>. Due to
its proprietary nature, it can no longer be updated or even used. Users
requested Spotify to make the software that runs on the device libre,
and Spotify refused, so these devices are now e-waste. Spotify is
now offering refunds to save the purchasers from
losing money on these products, but this wouldn't prevent the products
from being e-waste, and wouldn't save users from being jerked around by
Spotify. This is an example of how software that is not free controls
the user instead of the user controlling the software. It is also an
important lesson for us to insist the software in a device be libre
before we buy it.</p>
</li>
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<li id="M202208070">
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<p>Some Epson printers are programmed to <a
href="https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/22/08/07/0350244/epson-programs-some-printers-to-stop-operating-claiming-danger-of-ink-spills">
stop working after they have printed a predetermined number
of pages</a>, on the pretext that ink pads become saturated
with ink. This constitutes an unacceptable infringement on
users' freedom to use their printers as they wish, and on their <a
href="https://fighttorepair.substack.com/p/citing-danger-of-ink-spills-epson">
right to repair them</a>.</p>
</li>
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<p>Today's “smart” TVs <a
href="https://www.techdirt.com/2022/04/14/its-still-stupidly-ridiculously-difficult-to-buy-a-dumb-tv/">
push people to surrender to tracking via internet</a>. Some won't work
unless they have a chance to download nonfree software. And they are
designed for programmed obsolescence.</p>
</li>
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<p>The personal finance management software “Quicken” <a
href="https://www.quicken.com/support/quicken-discontinuation-policy">
href="https://www.quicken.com/support/quicken-discontinuation-policy/">
has a discontinuation policy, a.k.a. planned obsolescence</a>, which is
an injustice to users. A free (as in freedom) program would let users
control the software. But when you use a proprietary software,
you won't be in control.</p>
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<p>ChromeBooks are programmed for obsolescence:
ChromeOS has a universal back door that is used for updates and <a
href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/08/22/buying_a_chromebook_dont_forget_to_check_when_it_expires/">
href="https://www.theregister.com/2019/08/22/buying_a_chromebook_dont_forget_to_check_when_it_expires/">
ceases to operate at a predefined date</a>. From then on, there
appears to be no support whatsoever for the computer.</p>
<p>In other words, when you stop getting screwed by the back door,
you start getting screwed by the obsolescence.</p>
</li>
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<p>The British supermarket Tesco sold tablets which were tethered
to Tesco's server for reinstalling default settings. Tesco <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/mar/25/tesco-hudl-tablet-support-kill-fix">
turned off the server for old models</a>, so now if you try to
reinstall the default settings, it bricks them instead.</p>
</li>
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<p>The HP <a
href="https://boingboing.net/2019/02/08/inkjet-dystopias.html">
“ink subscription” cartridges have DRM that constantly
communicates with HP servers</a> to make sure the user is still
paying for the subscription, and hasn't printed more pages than were
paid for.</p>
<p>Even though the ink subscription program may be cheaper in some
specific cases, it spies on users, and involves totally unacceptable
restrictions in the use of ink cartridges that would otherwise be in
working order.</p>
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<p>Apple and Samsung deliberately <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/oct/24/apple-samsung-fined-for-slowing-down-phones">degrade
the performance of older phones to force users to buy their newer
phones</a>.</p>
</li>
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<p>Apple will stop <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jun/06/iphone-ipad-apps-games-apple-5-5c-obsolete">fixing
bugs for older model iThings</a>.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Apple stops people from fixing problems themselves;
that's the nature of proprietary software.</p>
</li>
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<p>Revolv is a device that managed “smart home”
operations: switching lights, operate motion sensors, regulating
temperature, etc. Its proprietary software depends on a remote server
to do these tasks. On May 15th, 2016, Google/Alphabet <a
href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2016/04/nest-reminds-customers-ownership-isnt-what-it-used-be">intentionally
broke it by shutting down the server</a>.</p>
<p>If it were free software, users would have the ability to make it
work again, differently, and then have a freedom-respecting home
instead of a “smart” home. Don't let proprietary software
control your devices and turn them into $300 out-of-warranty
bricks. Insist on self-contained computers that run free software!</p>
</li>
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<p>Electronic Arts <a
href="https://techraptor.net/gaming/news/darkspore-servers-shut-down">made
one of its games permanently unplayable</a> by shutting down its
servers. This game was heavily reliant on the company's servers,
and because the software is proprietary, users can't modify it to
make it connect to some other server. If the game were free, people
could still play what they purchased.</p>
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<p>The <a
href="http://michaelweinberg.org/post/137045828005/free-the-cube">
href="https://michaelweinberg.org/post/137045828005/free-the-cube">
“Cube” 3D printer was designed with DRM</a>: it
won't accept third-party printing materials. It is the Keurig of
printers. Now it is being discontinued, which means that eventually
authorized materials won't be available and the printers may become
unusable.</p>
<p>With a <a
href="http://www.fsf.org/resources/hw/endorsement/aleph-objects">
href="https://www.fsf.org/resources/hw/endorsement/aleph-objects">
printer that gets the Respects Your Freedom</a>, this problem would
not even be a remote possibility.</p>
<p>How pitiful that the author of that article says that there was
“nothing wrong” with designing the device to restrict
users in the first place. This is like putting a “cheat me and
mistreat me” sign on your chest. We should know better: we
should condemn all companies that take advantage of people like him.
Indeed, it is the acceptance of their unjust practice that teaches
people to be doormats.</p>
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