In the past EA has explained to the collective gaming community that only 1% of users ever re-install their purchased games, therefore the 3 limit install was justified. We’ve all read what SecuROM does for gamers. It installs on your computer and never leaves, and also allows EA to “listen” to your computer and internet activity all in the name of thwarting the evils of internet piracy. Consumers, for the most part ate up the piracy argument while EA tightened its security to the point of issuing gag orders on their boards. Loose talk of cancelling accounts and deleting threads are rampant on the EA boards if the slightest mention of DRM’s and SecuROM’s are mentioned by paying or potential customers.

EA has this situation well in hand; however, some customers are not buying into the “reasons” EA has given and instead decided to exercise their consumer rights in a San Jose court and filed a class action suit against EA. The suit alleges that consumer’s rights were violated because the documentation provided with Spore makes no mention of SecuROM and what exactly this DRM can do to your PC rig. Even after un-installation the DRM still stays in your system interfering with the normal operations of the computer. Alan Himmelfarb with Kamber Edelson of Vernon, Calif., and New York represent the plaintiffs. Stay tuned for what is sure to be very entertaining news.

- Ralph Tricoche