This Coffee Maker Has DRM to Lock Out Competitor's Refills - Update

[Steven Bogos]

This Coffee Maker Has DRM to Lock Out Competitor's Refills - Update

The "Keurig 2.0" coffee maker will feature "lock out" technology to stop people from refilling it with competitor's coffee.

Update: Keurig has responded to the widespread negative feedback regarding this change, assuring fans that "It's critical for performance and safety reasons that our new system includes this technology." Safety reasons. That's a good one.

Source: Tech Dirt [http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140305/14561626447/keurig-insists-coffee-drm-brings-interactive-enabled-benefits-is-your-own-safety.shtml]

Original Story: Just like with printers, coffee maker manufacturers know that getting the device into your home is just phase one, the real money is in refills. Unlike printers, though, coffee makers have been pretty universal so far, meaning you can easily insert a competitor's "pod" into any machine. Keurig aims to put an end to that, however, with the first-ever DRM-laden coffee maker.

"Green Mountain has announced a new anticompetitive plan to maintain its monopoly by redesigning its brewers to lock out competitors' products. Such lock-out technology cannot be justified based on any purported consumer benefit, and Green Mountain itself has admitted that the lock-out technology is not essential for the new brewers' function. Like its exclusionary agreements, this lock-out technology is intended to serve anticompetitive and unlawful ends."

The preceding quote comes from a lawsuit filed against Keurig [http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140227/06521826371/keurig-will-use-drm-new-coffee-maker-to-lock-out-refill-market.shtml] by TreeHouse Foods, a rival coffee maker-maker. It also claims that Keurig has been busy striking exclusionary agreements with suppliers and distributors to lock competing products out of the market, on top of its physical "coffee maker DRM".

I drink coffee out of cans from the vending machine, so I have close to no idea how this would even work, but apparently it does, as Keurig's CEO stated on a recent earnings call that the new maker indeed won't work with "unlicensed" pods as part of an effort to deliver "game-changing performance."

"Keurig 2.0" is expected to launch this fall.

Source: Tech Dirt [http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140227/06521826371/keurig-will-use-drm-new-coffee-maker-to-lock-out-refill-market.shtml]

Permalink

 

[Fox12]

Somehow, I don't expect this to get the same level of ire as Microsoft did.

 

[mysecondlife]

I have a Keurig. Mine just punctures a hole top and bottom of the coffee pod and it pours hot water. Haven't got a clue how they managed it.

Oh well. I'm an Organic Ethiopian Coffee drinking master race anyways.

I drink coffee out of cans from the vending machine

Do you live in Asia or something?

 

[Sniper Team 4]

So, what's next? Certain types of cars only work with Shell gas? Toasters can only toast certain types of bread? Ovens will only work with specific cookie sheets? Milk will only stay cold in certain fridges that scan a chip in the carton and approve the milk? Am I going too far with this?

This seems rather silly on the one hand, and yet on the other hand makes sense. I mean, you don't get PS3 games to work on the 360. So I guess if it is your company's coffee maker, it makes sense to make it so only your coffee will work with it. Of course, if people decide they no longer want to use your product because of this, then you are going to be in trouble.

 

[Saulkar]

Next Up, cars that permanently breakdown every 5 years in order to maintain superior quality for their valued customers.

Even though I do not use these machines I hope this lawsuit works because this lockout is simply bullshit and anti-consumer.

So, what's next? Certain types of cars only work with Shell gas

Interesting that we came to similar conclusions.

 

[The World Famous]

This reads like something off The Onion. What a load.
Er, the coffee thing, not the article.

 

[Jorec]

So what's to stop people from just using the original Keurig machines then? If that's the only substantial thing that the "Keurig 2.0" offers than I see no point in upgrading honestly, especially if the competitor's refills are in fact cheaper.

 

[TheRealCJ]

Next Up, cars that permanently breakdown every 5 years in order to maintain superior quality for their valued customers?

Even though I do not use these machines I hope this lawsuit works because this lockout is simply bullshit and anti-consumer.

So, what's next? Certain types of cars only work with Shell gas

Interesting that we came to similar conclusions.

I think it's funny that cars - one of the most standardised consumer machines for the last century - seems to be the default slippery slope argument. I see it all the time when it comes to Apple vs. PC debates, and DRM debates, and just about any other tech debates...

 

[Racecarlock]

Because it worked SO WELL for video games, right? I suppose if you're looking to lose customers as fast as possible, there is no better way.

 

[Neta]

Keurig 2.0" is expected to launch this fall.

I misread that as "Keurig 2.0" is expected to fail" and smiled inside. Then I re-read it and hoped it would fail anyway.

Whoever thought up this DRM needs to have lots and lots of coffee beans inserted into every orifice of their body.

 

[Pyrian]

I don't think this will work out well for them. People who were drinking their coffee from their machine won't be affected, and people who were drinking other coffee from their machine, will buy their competitors' machines. Face it; their choice of coffee is going to be more important to them than their choice of glorified water heater.

 

[Stevepinto3]

i don't actually know anyone...nor have i in fact ever known someone...who actually owns a coffee maker.

mostly on account of us having these things called "kettles"...

I take it you're not from the U.S. then. I don't know anyone who doesn't own a coffeemaker. Hell, I have one and I don't even drink coffee.

 

[Saulkar]

I think it's funny that cars - one of the most standardised consumer machines for the last century - seems to be the default slippery slope argument. I see it all the time when it comes to Apple vs. PC debates, and DRM debates, and just about any other tech debates...

Because they are such an important part of several people's lives. The general worry is that one day the general public's apathy towards the problems associated with incrementally growing anti-consumer practices may be so great that they would not react to it slowly expanding from luxuries into much more integral products and tools. Furthermore the car is an easy to relate to object and thus easy to understand the consequences of losing certain ownership rights over it. The car might never encounter draconian DRM like oversights but none the less it makes it easy to explain to other people with something they feel strongly about.

 

[Icehearted]

Oh the bright side I was planing on getting a Cuisinart anyway. Wonder how long until these things get mod chips.

 

[KouDy]

Never heard of these Keurig machines really. What puzzles me is why would anyone go for coffee maker that uses pods in the first place? It goes totally in the opposite direction of getting the machine itself.
Point of coffee maker is to have superb coffee taste because the coffee put inside was fresh (ideally freshly ground). There are machines that do that for you on the market. Pods are on the other side of the spectrum completely denying the purpose of coffee makers.

Krups or DeLonghi to name some real makers.

 

[Keiichi Morisato]

i don't actually know anyone...nor have i in fact ever known someone...who actually owns a coffee maker.

mostly on account of us having these things called "kettles"...

I take it you're not from the U.S. then. I don't know anyone who doesn't own a coffeemaker. Hell, I have one and I don't even drink coffee.

consumerism gone mad!

anyway nope (Scotland).

round here household coffee comes in a jar as far most people are concerned.
a machine like that is generally seen as an unnecessary palaver.

in america, if we want tea we nuke the water and add a tea bag of desired flavor, and add copious amounts of sugar or artificial sweetener.

 

[Jaeger_CDN]

Never heard of these Keurig machines really. What puzzles me is why would anyone go for coffee maker that uses pods in the first place? It goes totally in the opposite direction of getting the machine itself.

Keurig does have a refillable filter so you don't necessarily have to buy the ready made ones, not sure if the other brands have this as well

 

[KouDy]

Never heard of these Keurig machines really. What puzzles me is why would anyone go for coffee maker that uses pods in the first place? It goes totally in the opposite direction of getting the machine itself.

Keurig does have a refillable filter so you don't necessarily have to buy the ready made ones, not sure if the other brands have this as well

What we have here at work (Rowenta brand) is lever one. You have place where you put your ground coffee and with some 15 bar pressure hot water goes through that into cup. After that you just empty the used coffee, wash it and you can make another with new coffee. Does that count?