The issue is clear: how does an entity protect its’ product? I want to buy a couch, so I go shopping and pick out the wonderful plushy, tan leather sectional. The pull out sofa bed is great for kicking hubby out, and the two recliners and drink cup are divine for a relaxing day of watching TV. So I purchase it. 6 months later I find a tear in the seat; wouldn’t it be nice to pull my identical copy out of the closet? When one thinks of digital media as a tangible product the issue becomes simple. However, if the technology exists to copy that couch, and save it as a backup for later use, shouldn’t I be able to? After all I paid for the couch, it is my couch, and I am not reselling it.
Introduce, Digital Rights Management Software (DRM), which allows copyright holders to manage the re-distribution and copy of their digital content. Types and methods vary greatly, most are software based and install on a users computer without the user’s knowledge. Knowledge is different than consent! All companies have a section in the “Terms & Conditions” and “Acceptable Use Polices”. This section will explain that using (installing) their software gives them the permission to employ DRM solutions and install hidden programs on your computer. Hardware manufacturers also participate. Many CD/DVD reading/writing drives are embedded with anti-piracy firmware. Firmware is programming instructions that are embedded on a device’s internal chipset. These restrictive methods are employed with almost no knowledge of the user. These methods work together, united for a single purpose to regulate the copying of their product.
The history of DRM is complex, more so than I think most want to read, but certain principles are important. The first implementations of DRM were hardware based. Content providers began using anti-copy protections in 1984. Macrovision created the first hardware protections to prevent VHS tapes from being copied without degradation. With the advent and...