Everyone’s linking to this Ask Tog column on Replay TV (as evidenced by the fact that it’s currently redirecting to an alternate page), but I think it’s too important to pass up. The question he poses is a good one for the age of automatic software updates:

Unless people are protected from purposeful and involuntary downgrades in the usability of already-purchased products, we will see a deterioration of consumer rights unimagined before. “Buyer Beware!” is one thing, but how can you beware of what the manufacturer will do to damage or degrade your product years after you bought and paid for it?