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When Google employees admit error, they're so abject that it almost takes the fun out of things. Almost. The company is now admitting that it botched the shutdown, earlier this month, of a Google Video service that let customers buy or rent videos. With a vast array of free clips on Google's YouTube site, Google product managers realized there was little incentive to pay for videos. But it erred, Google Video product manager Bindu Reddy now writes on the Google Blog, by offering only two weeks notice, giving customers a mere Google Checkout credit instead of a complete refund, and rendering the videos, protected by software, unplayable. Now Google is extending its video support and offering a full refund. Users also get to keep the Google Checkout credit. Who says money can't buy love? Not Valleywag, surely.

But Google, desperate to protect its image amid slipping customer-satisfaction ratings, erred in its too-generous refund policy. Internet zealots opposed to digital-rights management, or DRM, software have leapt on the episode to highlight the supposed evils of DRM. Once a service dies, consumers are left with useless files — as well they should. We say caveat emptor — especially the empty-headed. Customers stupid enough to shell out money for DRM-protected content, especially to a lame service like Google Video, deserve what they get.