DRM. Digital Rights Management (or, as rms would put it, Digital Restrictions Management). In terms of software development, I think we will someday look back on this and call it the 'DRM Age' due to how prevalent it is these days.
Of course (as you may have seen from my previous pages), I don't really like DRM. As a business model, it's doomed to eventual failure (at the moment, it's only being propped up by draconian laws like the DMCA and EUCD that make the inevitable a crime) and besides that, it's hugely anti-social. Corporations seem to be forgetting these days that they need consumers. Consumers don't strictly need them (no one had an actual need for music, movies, or software) but corporations can only survive with consumers continuing to give them money.
Despite this, corporations these days seem perfectly willing to risk losing the trust of the consumers by imposing tight, heavy-handed restrictions on what they're allowed to do with the things they purchase.
Case in point: I want to play SimCity 3000 UK Edition on Linux. It's the Windows version, but that doesn't matter. It's not a hugely advanced game, Wine has implemented enough Windows calls to handle it. Unfortunately, Electronic Arts deemed fit to put SafeDisc copy prevention (that's what I'm calling it, copy 'protection' doesn't seem as accurate) software on the disc. Which Wine can't handle. So short of waiting for Wine to get more advanced, I have to use Cedega (which costs money), find and purchase the Linux version (which costs more money), find a no-CD patch (which are rare for this game), or find a download for the Linux version. I don't want to pirate the game (I've never even tried to make a legal backup copy) but it looks like I'm going to forced into piracy to play my own fucking game!
Eventually, this age of DRM will end. If those perpetrating this madness get support, it will take a long time and hurt many people when it finally falls. If they are opposed, it will end quickly and relatively cleanly. I hope for the latter, but expect the former. So I plan to batten down the hatches, and wait for the world to regain some sense of sanity.