Steam is a form of DRM btw..
Anyway, when you buy games you should be printing off the receipts or saving the emails. With that you can go to the original company (if activision didnt shut them down) and they will reissue you a key.
EA games has the policy of 3-5 times installs without complaining.
EA: Hello EA games customer 'service'.
You: Yo I bought <insert title here> in the store and my computer died and I want to reinstall <insert title here> but I can't. I could do it on my previous computer and so there shouldn't be a problem!
EA: Bla bla bla.
You: Bla bla bla.
EA: Okey we restarted the counter.
You: Kthnxbye
But in my case it goes like this:
Securom: Hey Windows, what's the time and date
Wine: It's 19 dec 2009
Securom: Oh Rly?
Wine: Yarly.
Securom: Can I ask the intarwebs?
Wine: No.
Securom: Ewr... are you really Windows
Wine: Yeah dude, totally
Securom: You, like, totally fooled me into believeing that dude.
Wine: I know... Did I also tell you that I am not a debugger?
Securom: Wow dude... let's game
Wine: Totally *rofl*