Comments on: Digital Rights Management (DRM) http://brianrowe.org/IMT550/2010/02/24/digital-rights-management-drm/ Class Blog for IMT 550, Winter 2010, @ UW Ischool Wed, 17 Mar 2010 09:17:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Andrew http://brianrowe.org/IMT550/2010/02/24/digital-rights-management-drm/comment-page-1/#comment-218 Andrew Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:06:23 +0000 http://brianrowe.org/IMT550/?p=351#comment-218 DRM is a poor business choice period. It does more harm to the company financially and public relation wise than counteract piracy. Does it expect to win? 1) It doesn’t prevent illegal use of the music/software/movies etc. People can circumvent the protect features through cracks and hacks 2) It adds more cost to the content provider. DRM development/ lincensing the technology from other companies isn’t FREE. 3) Public relations nightmare: The Sony Rootkit is an excellent example but it doesn’t stop there. Electronics Arts has been known to use SecruROM on its games which has definitely generated controversy. Some users are willing to wait for a hacked version to show up online and wait to download that version. It makes you think that in some ways companies are forcing users to commit piracy but forcing this inconvinece on them 4) Device compatability: DRM protected content such as music can be of a burden to users as it may not work on all their different devices. Does everyone in this world use a Sony music player? Lastly, about the previous about DRM cultivating a habit to pay what they want. I believe it’s the other way around. DRM creates resistance to pay for users to pay for they want. Here’s how I seeing things: 1) Either DRM must evolve into a form that is less intrusive ie Audio Watermarking is an example 2) Drop DRM entirely and pursue a new business model As much as I dislike DRM I believe companies must find a way to protect their interests and minimize the public from free riding on their products by being able to steal it. Here’s a link to more info on Audio Watermarking http://www.afterdawn.com/news/article.cfm/2007/08/15/audio_watermarking_may_be_new_alternative_to_drm DRM is a poor business choice period. It does more harm to the company financially and public relation wise than counteract piracy. Does it expect to win?

1) It doesn’t prevent illegal use of the music/software/movies etc. People can circumvent the protect features through cracks and hacks

2) It adds more cost to the content provider. DRM development/ lincensing the technology from other companies isn’t FREE.

3) Public relations nightmare: The Sony Rootkit is an excellent example but it doesn’t stop there. Electronics Arts has been known to use SecruROM on its games which has definitely generated controversy. Some users are willing to wait for a hacked version to show up online and wait to download that version. It makes you think that in some ways companies are forcing users to commit piracy but forcing this inconvinece on them

4) Device compatability: DRM protected content such as music can be of a burden to users as it may not work on all their different devices. Does everyone in this world use a Sony music player?

Lastly, about the previous about DRM cultivating a habit to pay what they want. I believe it’s the other way around. DRM creates resistance to pay for users to pay for they want.

Here’s how I seeing things: 1) Either DRM must evolve into a form that is less intrusive ie Audio Watermarking is an example 2) Drop DRM entirely and pursue a new business model
As much as I dislike DRM I believe companies must find a way to protect their interests and
minimize the public from free riding on their products by being able to steal it.

Here’s a link to more info on Audio Watermarking http://www.afterdawn.com/news/article.cfm/2007/08/15/audio_watermarking_may_be_new_alternative_to_drm

]]> By: Josh http://brianrowe.org/IMT550/2010/02/24/digital-rights-management-drm/comment-page-1/#comment-197 Josh Sun, 14 Mar 2010 04:54:55 +0000 http://brianrowe.org/IMT550/?p=351#comment-197 This is pretty interesting topic to me. Whether DRM is a very serious issue in many industries. I highly agree with the point you mentioned - it is totally wrong that a company invades customer privacy when implement DRM. In my personal presentation, I was presenting about how O'Rellys started try to take off DRM for their ebooks and then it seemed to have a good sale result for them. However, I think companies shouldn't take DRM away until most customers cultivate a habit - pay what they want. So this will have a transition of taking DRM away. This is pretty interesting topic to me. Whether DRM is a very serious issue in many industries. I highly agree with the point you mentioned – it is totally wrong that a company invades customer privacy when implement DRM.
In my personal presentation, I was presenting about how O’Rellys started try to take off DRM for their ebooks and then it seemed to have a good sale result for them. However, I think companies shouldn’t take DRM away until most customers cultivate a habit – pay what they want. So this will have a transition of taking DRM away.

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