Just removing the firmware would make the kernel log names of missing
firmware files.  It is considered a recommendation of that firmware, so
it is changed.  (Debian additionally disables functionality that works
on my machine without using the firmware and makes it print the nonfree
firmware package name for easier installation [0]).

It's known that the current solution in Linux-libre is unoptimal.  It
will hash the firmware file names, so users can load them if they know
about them but the logs won't recommend them.  It might get implemented
for 3.14.

I don't think it's DRM, it's just stripping functionality which isn't
useful without nonfree firmware and has issues preventing it from being
used as it is in free distros.  (Choose any package that's missing from
Trisquel, gNewSense or Parabola for recommending nonfree software.  Is
it DRM that the distro doesn't provide it or solves it by removing a
rarely used feature?)  You can compile your own module and use it with
Linux-libre.  DRM that I know about involves restricting a use of user's
data [1], "breaking" a program that normally uses specific data is
different.

[0] 
http://anonscm.debian.org/viewvc/kernel/dists/trunk/linux/debian/patches/bugfix/all/radeon-firmware-is-required-for-drm-and-kms-on-r600-onward.patch?view=markup
[1] http://b.mtjm.eu/drm-free-software.html

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