DRM Technology – An artificial barrier
The industry has tried to prevent the copying of files and content they are selling through adding artificial constraints using DRM technology (Digital Rights Management). Music files or other software that “self-destruct” after three times, music files that can only be played within a certain time period, which theoretically should be impossible to copy and files that monitor your computer to ensure that you do not do anything illegal. DRM would save the industry from piracy by making it difficult, if not impossible, to copy a legally purchased file. For companies, DRM technology is important for saving their own products from being distributed freely without getting anything in return.
To understand what exactly DRM technology is here are some well-known barriers we face in the daily life:
When you buy a cell phone, it is locked to a certain wireless provider. The service provider, for instance AT&T won’t let you use Verizon with “their” phone, so they use DRM technology from stopping you. Another example is if you buy a DVD in the United States and you try to play it in a European DVD player it won’t let you. Because different rights restrictions the companies use DRM technology to make the DVD unplayable in other regions than the United States. Another example of DRM technology is when you buy Microsoft Office. It will only let you install the software on three different computers because Microsoft tries to prevent you from sharing their product without getting anything in return.
The problem with DRM was discovered early. Music files for example could only be played in programs that were designed for DRM, which meant that songs purchased for example from Apple’s “iTunes Store” could not be played if you didn’t use Apples own product, iPod. Another problem with DRM is that it is as easy to copy content that has DRM on it as it is to copy content without DRM given the right tools. The only people who actually suffered from DRM technology were those who bought the music, and the industry began a war against their own customers because it wouldn’t let the customers do what they wanted to do with their product after they bought it. What DRM did was to make it even easier for loyal customers to see the cons of buying their products instead of downloading it illegally. When they downloaded their media content illegally, they could do whatever they wanted to do with the content just through an easy “click” on their computers. DRM is now on the way out of the market and most companies like Apple now sell their content from the Apple Store without DRM restrictions on their music.
To understand what exactly DRM technology is here are some well-known barriers we face in the daily life:
When you buy a cell phone, it is locked to a certain wireless provider. The service provider, for instance AT&T won’t let you use Verizon with “their” phone, so they use DRM technology from stopping you. Another example is if you buy a DVD in the United States and you try to play it in a European DVD player it won’t let you. Because different rights restrictions the companies use DRM technology to make the DVD unplayable in other regions than the United States. Another example of DRM technology is when you buy Microsoft Office. It will only let you install the software on three different computers because Microsoft tries to prevent you from sharing their product without getting anything in return.
The problem with DRM was discovered early. Music files for example could only be played in programs that were designed for DRM, which meant that songs purchased for example from Apple’s “iTunes Store” could not be played if you didn’t use Apples own product, iPod. Another problem with DRM is that it is as easy to copy content that has DRM on it as it is to copy content without DRM given the right tools. The only people who actually suffered from DRM technology were those who bought the music, and the industry began a war against their own customers because it wouldn’t let the customers do what they wanted to do with their product after they bought it. What DRM did was to make it even easier for loyal customers to see the cons of buying their products instead of downloading it illegally. When they downloaded their media content illegally, they could do whatever they wanted to do with the content just through an easy “click” on their computers. DRM is now on the way out of the market and most companies like Apple now sell their content from the Apple Store without DRM restrictions on their music.