To be fair to the OP, it is annoying. Yes, there are far worse problems in the world, but put yourself in the OP's shoes for a moment, as I was there a year ago.
Last year I replaced a 2008 C2D Mini with a 2010 Mini. My display was a 23" Apple HD Cinema Display with a DVI port that I bought back in 2005 (ho ho! look up what those cost back then!), so I used the miniDisplayPort-to-DVI adapter (and also had an HDMI-to-DVI adapter for some reason). I was a bit surprised that I couldn't watch any of the HDCP-protected video content from iTunes on the computer display.
Now, granted, I immediately knew why I was getting HDCP errors, but it was a bit of a "you have to be ****ing kidding me" moment. I had to buy an HDCP compatible display to watch iTunes video on my Mini. For the average Mac Mini buyer (excluding enthusiasts here), that's a no go. Your average person doesn't own a mini-DisplayPort or DisplayPort display, and they're probably using one with a DVI-I or VGA HD15 connector. To the average person -- who has never heard of the acronym HDCP before -- this would be frustrating and confusing.
During Xmas I bought myself a new 27" LED Cinema Display, and obviously, the problem is now gone. The average person who bought a Mini isn't going to go buy a 27" LED CD though, nor will they find DisplayPort displays to be common in stores. They'll just think it's broken and left with a sour taste in their mouth. If anything, they're going to be pissed at Apple since their iTunes video won't work unless they spend more money on a new display (or an Apple TV), which they weren't planning on, and defeats the purpose of a cheap switcher/hobbyist Mac.
So think about that. Imagine if the OP was your parents. How would you explain it to them? How would you think they'd feel that they can't watch their iTunes content on the Mini they just bought without buying an AppleTV or getting a new computer display? I know my parents, so I'd say "frustrated as all get out". It's a very crappy experience for the end-user.
We can thank the MPAA for this.