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You mean like an electric car which you can only "buy" with a rental contract for the batteries? One which comes with DRM that allows the manufacturer to remotely stop you from charging your car as they see fit? [1]

Or perhaps the smartphone you "bought", which tracks everywhere you go and doesn't allow you to install your own software.

As proprietary software with DRM invades deeper into our daily lives by becoming part of all the appliances and tools we use, we will no longer have the freedom to use "our" products as we see fit.

[1] https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/11/drm-cars-will-drive-co...

John Deere is already doing this and nobody really cares.

You mean nobody outside of farming. From what I have read, the smaller farmers who have to deal with that shit certainly care.

Well, no, not really. I mean, I'm sure some small farmers do care, but they're a vocal minority in the same way people posting on Hacker News about various computer-related ills most people are unconcerned about are a vocal minority.

That's what leasing is for.