Increasingly, manufacturers of non-electronic products are using Rights Management technology to enforce an artificial monopoly over the supply of aftermarket service and maintenance. The Senseo espresso machine is one such example; it utilises what its manufacturer calls ‘protected’ coffee pods that are only compatible with Philips’ own pod system - similar to the way DRM is used on portable music players to prevent alternative codecs being used. Unsurprisingly, the official Senseo pads are rather pricey (much more so than its competitors’).

Fear not, coffee lovers, a circumvention technique is here:

Take the pad and keep it vertical, with the opening in the 12 o’clock position. Gently insert the funnel using your other hand, and then use your thumb and index finger to hold the assembly, using just a little pressure to hold it all together, thus freeing your other hand again. Use that other hand to pour some of your finest coffee into the funnel, filling the pad just the way you like it… [You’re] left with an exquisitely filled coffee pad – that still has a small opening.

The technique described will allow users to utilise cheaper, alternative products, such as this one. It also (probably) violates the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Epinions.com may even be liable for vicarious infringement. If invoked, the Act would be used to limit consumer freedoms, stifle an innovative technique, and enforce a private company’s right to charge unrealistic prices.

Clearly, this would be an undesirable application of expansive legislation. Thankfully, however, it looks like Google will get the last laugh: consumers who search for ‘senseo coffee filter pad’ see the unofficial circumvention techniques before the result for the official product. With any luck, this page will join them in liberating coffee enthusiasts from the shackles of proprietary refill technologies.