Digital Rights Management

Digital Rights Management is a technological solution that allows publishers to control their digital media ( music, movies, etc) to discourage, limit or prevent illegal copying and distribution. If you have ever bought music from the song selling giant ITunes, then you have encountered DRM, stops users from duplcaiting music or ripping musically illegal and which also infringes copyright laws. The entertainment industry does not totally agree that DRM helps keep profits in the hands for the artists by stopping unauthorized copying of their material. Some critical analysts for the music industry believe that DRM has now stifled innovation. Other types of media carry DRM devices such as video distributors and movie rental companies such as Netflix.

Consumers that seek to make their movie experience a memorable one by trying to copy NetFlix or Blockbuster movies may find themselves extremely frustrated. But on the flip side, owner of HD monitors have launched several complaints that while doing Neetflix “ Instant Viewing” they had to agree with Netflix policy to reset their DRM and by doing so ended up destroying other capabilities they had with DRM with stores such as Amazon and many others. It has bought many consumers to frustration because when they make such pacts to have their DRM reset, they often fall victim to loosing access to other files and information they have purchased from other sites. Some consumers are going to the trouble of purchasing a VirtualBox to separate the DRM files from one another.

For some the use of DRM devices stands as no road block at all but purely just a nuisance. If people want a movie or a song bad enough they have researched ways to get around it by using programs like Cabo, LimeWire, Frostwire and other P2P networks. The inevitability for piracy will never be completely surmountable if the bad guy, so to speak, is always lurking around the corner, always one step ahead of technology’s advances.

“Congress in a shameful act of service to the campaign contributions of the entertainment industry passed "PRO-IP" legislation that requires our government to work directly on the industry's behalf against the public interest. Under the deceptive banner of ”intellectual property”, the bill as passed has several unacceptable provisions

Besides over $23 million in campaign contribution the industry used scare tactics to get it passed, trying to draw a connection between copyright infringement and...terrorism. The bill expresses the "Sense of Congress" as agreeing that "terrorists and organized crime utilize piracy, counterfeiting, and infringement to fund some of their activities;" and that stopping copyright infringement should be among the highest priorities of government. This attitude sets us up for a future world of Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) and large-scale seizure of computer equipment the industry accuses of being involved in file sharing.”( John Sullivan). People need to closely examine some of the negative effects that DRM is causing consumers. On the one hand it can act as a protection for artist and those in the music industry.