Update:  the company has reversed it’s choice and now will allow third party bulbs.  Hooray for consumer choice!

So, just came across this beautiful piece that seems slightly anti-consumer to me.  Will companies ever learn that modifying core functionality only serve to upset their most vocal cheerleaders, the early adopters.

This change seems to be masquerading under the banner of “Quality Controls”.  I firmly believe that if you have bought and paid for a device, the functionality you paid for should exist going forward.  Worse still is that these devices use open standards, but are still being blocked.  This is akin to buying a new laptop, and then being told that it won’t work with your existing network due to the router not being made by the same manufacturer.  Open standards allow smaller companies to compete without the massive overhead that proprietary protocols require, and they help ensure interoperability between multiple brands.   Forcing consumers to purchase the consumables from a single manufacturer or approved manufacturer removes a consumers choice.  A better option for device makers is to ensure that their product is the best it can be, at an affordable price, and refuse to rely on artificial means to lock consumers to your brand.

Source: Lightbulb DRM: Philips Locks Purchasers Out Of Third-Party Bulbs With Firmware Update | Techdirt