Digital Rights Management
The essential facts about Digital Rights Management
If you want to protect your digital media products, then you will need to use digital rights management, also known as DRM. This is a set of models and technologies designed for businesses which allow them to get protection for their online intellectual property. DRM is used by a number of companies, both large and small, to protect the products that they make and sell online. Users of digital rights management include publishers of music or e-books, holders of standard copyright, and technology and hardware manufacturers. Despite the growing number of people who need to use some form of DRM in their business, such as those making apps, there are some differences between the types of DRM that may be available to your business.
Do I need first or second generation DRM?
Digital rights management has two different levels. The first type is one which protects the rights of the individual to prevent copying of their own digital works. The second generation prevents the viewing, printing, copying and changing of devices and digital works. Many businesses are unsure whether they need a basic copy-prevention software, or a more extensive data-protection software which will prevent a number of actions being carried out on your digital property. Which one you need will depend very much upon your own creation, and what is more likely to happen to it, but most modern businesses choose second-generation products in order to get maximum protection.
Does everyone accept digital rights protection?
In the internet world, DRM can be controversial. Some consider that the software is needed in order to prevent theft and ensure that the creator of digital media has artistic or creative control of their products. This is the sort of standard that is expected of physical music and text, so it seems obvious that it will need to be used online as well. However, some users oppose DRM, suggesting that this type of protection is not needed, because there is just no evidence that it works, instead saying that it just makes it harder for legitimate customers to use the digital media. This may or may not be true of many customers. However, most businesses choose to use some form of digital rights protection to ensure that their own products are not compromised in any way.
Problems with digital rights management
Although most people can see the sense in having protection for digital media, sometimes they can be annoyed by problems with that protection. In some cases, the policies of companies can prevent legitimate users from exercising their legal rights to use the product, including making back-up copies of software, or accessing public domain works. Some countries consider the use of DRM to be contrary to competitive practice.
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