Trope-a-Day: Infinite Supplies

Infinite Supplies: While nothing in this case is actually infinite, thanks to the Laws of Thermodynamics, centuries or millennia of living in space have made most advanced cultures in the Associated Worlds very, very good at closed-cycle recycling; and on a simpler level, well, the cornucopia machine does wonders for logistics problems, inasmuch as – albeit with inefficiency – it’s able to manufacture essentially anything that doesn’t need rare elements or exotic-matter components from fairly simple feedstocks.  So unless you need something particularly exotic or bound about with draconian Fabrication Rights Management restrictions, the odds are that you can get it without too much trouble.

Trope-a-Day: DRM

DRM: (and its cousins, Genetic Rights Management, Fabrication Rights Management, and Experience Rights Management) grew up in a very different environment in this universe; one in which the companies producing such things wanted the electronic market, knew that customers wanted flexibility and wouldn’t buy if they didn’t get it, and in which the customers were less likely to be thieving weasels given half a chance and a rationalization.  Thus, Imperial DRM packages are helpful, friendly, minimally-intrusive non-malware attached to software, using pricing models which never geolock or play other such tricks, and would like to positively encourage you to keep backups, send copies to friends, transfer between multiple devices, lend media out, and make and publish licensed derivative works.