DRM Overview
Digital Rights Management
It's not like I had a cell phone as soon as I made my way out of the womb. I didn't get my first cell until I was in high school, yet since then, I can't imagine my life without one. Forgetting my cell phone at my apartment for a day kind of feels like forgetting my glasses for a day. I didn't grow up downloading music for free either, but I know living without free downloads would produce a similar affect. And somehow I doubt I'm the only one. If the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) has it their way, I couldn't imagine breathing coming as naturally as it does now.
With digital rights management (DRM) creeping up on us otherwise law-abiding citizens, our lives as media pirates are under threat. Sure, it's doubtful that the free mp3 will ever dissolve completely, but publishers and copyright owners using DRM technologies could very well make finding your favorite artists' new album for nothing very difficult. How long will it take for most copyrighted files to be equipped with DRM technology? It's uncertain, but it might be creeping up quicker than we think, especially considering it has international legal backing.
We've already been exposed to some of these technologies. One of its earliest forms made VHS duplication almost impossible with Macrovision. And the conception of the compressed music file, mp3, came with its own anti-piracy counterpart. The most perceptible manifestation of mp3 anti-piracy is the protected AAC iTunes music store audio file, making their files incapable of being copied.
While bands like Metallica were fighting on the side of the RIAA, most of the public has unconsciously grouped together to demand free music. And others, are more consciously assembling to battle DRM.
You can't simply support free music and video with only "the I can't live without it" defense in your arsenal. So, in the next few months I will examine why we should and how we can keep the 'free' revolution alive. I'm Ryan Piccirillo and this is the Cutting Edge: DRM Blog. So let the blogging begin.
It's not like I had a cell phone as soon as I made my way out of the womb. I didn't get my first cell until I was in high school, yet since then, I can't imagine my life without one. Forgetting my cell phone at my apartment for a day kind of feels like forgetting my glasses for a day. I didn't grow up downloading music for free either, but I know living without free downloads would produce a similar affect. And somehow I doubt I'm the only one. If the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) has it their way, I couldn't imagine breathing coming as naturally as it does now.
With digital rights management (DRM) creeping up on us otherwise law-abiding citizens, our lives as media pirates are under threat. Sure, it's doubtful that the free mp3 will ever dissolve completely, but publishers and copyright owners using DRM technologies could very well make finding your favorite artists' new album for nothing very difficult. How long will it take for most copyrighted files to be equipped with DRM technology? It's uncertain, but it might be creeping up quicker than we think, especially considering it has international legal backing.
We've already been exposed to some of these technologies. One of its earliest forms made VHS duplication almost impossible with Macrovision. And the conception of the compressed music file, mp3, came with its own anti-piracy counterpart. The most perceptible manifestation of mp3 anti-piracy is the protected AAC iTunes music store audio file, making their files incapable of being copied.
While bands like Metallica were fighting on the side of the RIAA, most of the public has unconsciously grouped together to demand free music. And others, are more consciously assembling to battle DRM.
You can't simply support free music and video with only "the I can't live without it" defense in your arsenal. So, in the next few months I will examine why we should and how we can keep the 'free' revolution alive. I'm Ryan Piccirillo and this is the Cutting Edge: DRM Blog. So let the blogging begin.
posted by pico at Wednesday, January 24, 2007
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