Optical Storage: Digital Rights Management
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People tend to think of DRM, or Digital Rights Management, as an abstract term. It is often associated with more common topics such as piracy or copyright protection. In fact, many tend to completely mistake DRM as a synonym for piracy, copyright, and other fields.
But DRM is more than that. According to Wikipedia.org, "Digital rights management (DRM) is the umbrella term referring to any of several technical methods used to handle the description, layering, analysis, valuation, trading and monitoring of the rights held over a digital work."
Still a hefty definition? According to EPIC (Electronic Privacy Information Center), "[DRM] systems restrict the use of digital files in order to protect the interests of copyright holders. DRM technologies can control file access (number of views, length of views), altering, sharing, copying, printing, and saving. These technologies may be contained within the operating system, program software, or in the actual hardware of a device." DRM may also be referred to as "Content/Copy Protection for Removable Media" (CPRM) or sometimes as "technological measures."
There are generally two forms of methodologies under DRM: supportive and restrictive. Supportive DRM limits usage of content to registered, licensed users only. Web services are a great example of the supportive DRM methodology. Restrictive DRM, on the other hand, are usually more costly methods that impose more rigid restrictions to usage — like an expiry date, or the number of copies a piece of digital work that can be propagated. Restrictive DRM technologies can be implemented at the hardware level or at the file/software level.
Did you know that accommodating the concept of Fair Use with laws such as the Copyright Act are so important that without it, one wouldn't be able to quote a joke from The Simpsons, to tell it to a friend? The problem is that right now, the DRM technologies that seem suitable for these media industries will infringe on at least one aspect of fair use! Needless to say, these limits potentially hinder progress and growth, especially in fields such as the academe.
How about 'pervasive' or shall we say 'intrusive' DRM? There have been two major security threats posed by Sony and SunComm DRM software lately.
Sony BMG is in hot water for the DRM technology protecting its latest shipments of CDs. It is manifested in rootkits, programs that hook onto the OS kernel and become practically impossible to remove without damaging something in the process. Even worse is how it can actually allow hackers to hijack your PC when the software automatically transmits your information — with no means of disabling it. A good resource for the Sony rootkit, as well as other DRM flaws is the site Freedom to Tinker, maintained by computer scientists Ed Felten and Alex Halderman. Additionally, Sony BMG Music CDs has been listed as 5th overall in PC World's The 25 Worst Tech Products of All Time [link].
We've seen just the tip of the iceberg of DRM. While DRM was definitely established for a noble cause, it's clear that with incorrect planning and implementation these may lead to huge lawsuits and ultimately, unnecessary inconveniences and mistrust. Hopefully, DRM shall find the balance and compromise in the midst of what both sides favor.
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