Editing Automotive digital rights management

{{Main|Digital rights management}}

'''Digital Rights Management (DRM)''' in automotives is a practice in which automotive manufacturers restrict some of the functionalities of their products by using software to render them inaccessible until the user pays an additional fee, which may be a recurring subscription. 

==How it works==
Automotive manufacturers produce their automotives to include hardware that supports specific functionality, but program the automotive to prohibit the user from accessing that functionality unless the user has paid an additional fee. Users' attempts to bypass these restrictions may then be legally disputed or even face criminal charges.

==Why it is a problem==

===Undermines ownership rights===
A consumer purchasing an automotive can reasonably expect to then own and hold rights to the engine, suspension, and windows of that automotive. DRM effectively blocks the consumer from accessing parts of their own property. This calls into question whether the consumer truly owns the product they purchased. 

===Rent-seeking===
Per Wikipedia, [[wikipedia:Rent-seeking|rent-seeking]] is "the act of growing one's existing wealth by manipulating public policy or economic conditions without creating new wealth". Automotive manufacturers expend the same costs to produce their automotives, regardless of whether consumers pay for the additional features or not. Consumers also officially own the systems that enable these features, regardless of whether they pay to use them or not. As a result, automotive manufacturers aim to use DRM to generate additional profits without truly giving the consumer anything that they did not already own.

==Examples==
Some examples of automotive DRM include:

*BMW's heated seat and steering wheel subscription in the United Kingdom<ref>{{Cite web |last=Potts |first=Greg |date=14 Jul 2022 |title=BMW launches heated seat and steering wheel subscription service in the UK |url=https://www.topgear.com/car-news/bmw-launches-heated-seat-and-steering-wheel-subscription-service-uk |url-status=live |access-date=20 Aug 2025 |website=Top Gear}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Valdez-Dapena |first=Peter |date=3 Jul 2020 |title=Want a heated steering wheel in your BMW? You'll be able to download one via subscription |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/03/business/bmw-options-software-subscription-features/index.html |url-status=live |access-date=20 Aug 2025 |website=CNN Business}}</ref>
*Mercedes-Benz EQS's rear-wheel steering subscription in Germany<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tsui |first=Chris |date=26 Jul 2021 |title=Full Rear-Wheel Steering on Mercedes EQS Will Be $575 Annual Subscription in Germany: Report |url=https://www.thedrive.com/tech/41678/full-rear-wheel-steering-on-mercedes-eqs-will-be-575-annual-subscription-in-germany-report |url-status=live |access-date=20 Aug 2025 |website=The Drive}}</ref>
*Mercedes-Benz's acceleration increase subscriptions for the EQE and EQS models in the United States<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 Apr 2023 |title=Mercedes-Benz USA Announces Performance Acceleration On-Demand Upgrade for EQE and EQS Customers |url=https://media.mbusa.com/releases/mercedes-benz-usa-announces-performance-acceleration-on-demand-upgrade-for-eqe-and-eqs-customers |url-status=live |access-date=20 Aug 2025 |website=Mercedes-Benz Media Newsroom USA}}</ref>
*Audi's tri-zone climate control subscription<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stumpf |first=Rob |date=1 Apr 2022 |title=Audi Owner Finds Basic HVAC Function Paywalled After Pressing the Button for It |url=https://www.thedrive.com/news/44967/audi-owner-finds-basic-hvac-function-paywalled-after-pressing-the-button-for-it |access-date=20 Aug 2025 |website=The Drive}}</ref>
*General Motors' mandatory remote start and connectivity subscriptions for Buick, GMC, and Cadillac<ref>{{Cite web |last=Valdez-Dapena |first=Peter |date=10 Aug 2022 |title=A $1,500 'option' is now mandatory on GMC, Buick, and sokme Cadillac models |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/10/business/gm-onstar-mandatory/index.html |url-status=live |access-date=20 Aug 2025 |website=CNN Business}}</ref>
*Ford's hands-free steering and lane-change assistance subscription<ref>{{Cite web |last=Seabaugh |first=Christian |date=23 May 2023 |title=2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Yearlong Review: $650/Year to Subscribe to What? |url=https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/2022-ford-f-150-lightning-lariat-yearlong-review-update-5-subscription-services |url-status=live |access-date=20 Aug 2025 |website=MotorTrend}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Palmer |first=Zac |date=2 Oct 2024 |title=Ford's BlueCruise Driving Aid Now Available As One-Time Purchase |url=https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a62490773/ford-bluecruise-now-available-as-one-time-purchase/ |url-status=live |access-date=20 Aug 2025 |website=Road & Track}}</ref>
*Tesla Model 3's rear-heated seat subscription<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lambert |first=Fred |date=15 Feb 2020 |title=Tesla starts selling rear-heated seats on Model 3 SR and SR Plus as $300 OTA upgrade |url=https://electrek.co/2020/02/15/tesla-rear-heated-seats-model-3-ota-upgrades/ |url-status=live |access-date=20 Aug 2025 |website=Electrek}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Klender |first=Joey |date=15 Feb 2020 |title=Tesla unlocks rear heated seats for Model 3 SR and SR Plus as paid OTA upgrade |url=https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-model-3-rear-heated-seats-standard-range/ |url-status=live |access-date=20 Aug 2025 |website=Teslarati}}</ref>
*Tesla's acceleration boost feature<ref>{{Cite web |last=Alvarez |first=Simon |date=5 May 2025 |title=Tesla releases paid performance upgrade for new Model Y |url=https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-new-model-y-paid-performance-upgrade/ |url-status=live |access-date=20 Aug 2025 |website=Teslarati}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ali |first=Iqtidar |date=2 Jun 2025 |title=Tesla offers acceleration boost upgrade for the new Model Y |url=https://evannex.com/blogs/news/tesla-offers-acceleration-boost-upgrade-for-the-new-model-y |url-status=live |access-date=20 Aug 2025 |website=EVANNEX}}</ref>
*Tesla Model Y RWD's battery capacity expansion<ref>{{Cite web |last=Poultney |first=Leon |date=7 May 2024 |title=Want more range on your Tesla Model Y? You might have to pay extra to unlock it |url=https://www.techradar.com/vehicle-tech/hybrid-electric-vehicles/want-more-range-on-your-tesla-model-y-you-might-have-to-pay-extra-to-unlock-it |url-status=live |access-date=20 Aug 2025 |website=TechRadar}}</ref>
*Tesla's Full Self-Driving subscriptions<ref>{{Cite web |title=Full Self-Driving (Supervised) Subscriptions |url=https://www.tesla.com/support/full-self-driving-subscriptions |url-status=live |access-date=20 Aug 2025 |website=Tesla Support}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Automobile digital rights management}}
[[Category:Common terms]]