Digital Rights Management - Essay Example

DRM The security of a Digital Rights Management (DRM) system depends on the reality that a person owning the computer cannot access the inside of the DRM security. It is hard to protect this system because the machine is given to the invader, allowing him to exploit every instance, skill, and apparatus required to break it (Schwabach 56). This permits the attacker to invent a hardware or software that will access the DRM security without human intervention. Only one individual is required to crack a DRM system; and therefore, uses the software to smash other devices in the same group. This requires protection against the typical assailant. Digital Rights Management (DRM) is not highly implicated in piracy. This is its tricky way of demoralizing good use of digital rights, thus creating a bridge of generating income. The speculation behind DRM is that it is an access control technology that creates shortage in a vast profusion, in a digital reproduction setting. In the early years, technologies like CSS (Meyer 1) were used to help in preventing DVD copying (Schwabach 110). The advantage of using the DRM technology compared to CSS technology is that, DRM prevents copying of DVDs and other tasks (Schwabach 59). These tasks include designs of amending behaviors such as prohibiting, monitoring, permitting, and auto-expiration. It also allows users to watch videos and listen to music. It is important to note that the access control technologies are becoming more sophisticated. For example, studios are using DRM and its law to produce new and attractive products in the market such as movies that use moveable digital devices. This reduces unlawful copying of DVDs by creating the need for DRM and supporting it. DRM refrains from admitting that this is what it does, thus give false allegation that this is the work caused by piracy. This is clear that DRM does this for its own selfish interests. The main purpose of DRM is to capitalize on revenues by reducing the digital rights of the user, and selling them back to the user. The history behind DRM reinstates that the movie industry is yet to learn its lesson. Hollywood claims that DRM is not highly involved in piracy (Schwabach 103). Jack Valenti, who was the MPAA leader in 1982, testified on the budding occurrence of VCR possession before the House of Representatives. He said that VCR was intended for the American film producers and American community, while the Boston Strangler was destined for the women who are ever home. He said this in response to assertions that the VCR was created to the advantage of the American film producer. He was passionate in his animosity to the suggestion that the VCR could be a good obsession. Jack Valenti together with many people in the industry believed that it was not prudent to allow the public to decide on how to use a VCR. They also expressed their agony in the fact that many people can watch the same movie on a VCR, but not all of them will have to compensate for the cost. It was an abomination to the industry for Joe User to propose that a person can buy a movie at a fixed price, and then invite his or her friends to watch together. Sales of VHS movies were generating a lot of proceeds compared to sales of movie tickets by the late 1990s. The development of DVDs, which came after Betamax and VHS, led to increase in stupendous profit margins thus widening the breach. This led to the thinning of the Boston Strangler. This is when Hollywood lost their battle over the VCR by making it their acquaintance rather than their enemy (Grover par 5). This alliance was demoralized by the birth of DRM, which was able to adjust different behaviors. The practice of DRM gives birth to piracy. This is because the growth of these expertises allows users to locate DVDs online for free (Stegmaier 49). They have already splintered CSS and uploaded movies. The fact that piracy is a routine of downloading easily accessible software in the DVD market is not tainted by the new formats of DRM. There is no evidence that can be used against DRM to show that it slows piracy. Everything it does heartens piracy; and therefore, it is not appropriate for users who are in opposition to piracy. VCR generated an extra feature that helped in escalating revenues by use of the DVD. The iTunes Store is a trendy service that is yet to be clinched, despite this innovation. Users can download videos thus enabling television networks to progress leading to improved profits. This does not revolutionize the fact that Disney is the only movie studio that manufactures new releases on iTunes. The crisis is not brought by piracy but emanates from DRM. This is an astounding admission according to Ronald Grover (Grover par 4). He claims that the basis of failure of studios to familiarize with the iTunes Store and other similar services is the negligent of DRM according to an anonymous administrative. The main concern should not be based on piracy, but the ability to control how users use the content purchased. There are five devices certified to perform playback. They are considered numerous and the studios claim that this is equal to piracy (Stegmaier 102). According to Hollywood, the iTunes Store customers will take in their associates’ devices to their authorization list and share whatever they buy, like the wicked communists. This is not sensible because iTunes can issue many device authorizations at the same time. They allow sharing among friends, but the friends must be authorized to play all the purchased content. This is very inconvenient and can cause huge problems. A person who owns a DVD can lend it to anyone because it is acceptable. It is legal to share such devices, though Hollywood is doing its best to stop this by the use of DRM. (Stegmaier 991) DMCA has helped a lot by ensuring that encrypted, patent contents cannot be distorted. In conclusion, the DRM does not protect anything. It is expected to protect games against unlawful copying, but it is fractured within hours of release of every game. This means that it is a waste of funds in developing and implementing DRM. DRM also requires users to verify their authorization codes, validate their machines, and are connected to the internet as authentication takes place. This is done on games bought by the users. The DRM slows the games down for the legal users compared to the illegal users who use the downloaded version, which is pirated. The pirated version is clean and functions well. In my opinion, there is no future for DRM. Work cited Grover, Ronald Why Hollywood Snubbed Jobs at Macworld. 2007. Web. Meyer, Eric A. CSS: The Definitive Guide. Sebastopol, CA: OReilly Media, Inc., 2006. Print. Schwabach, Aaron. Internet and the Law: Technology, Society, and Compromises. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2006. Print. Stegmaier, Gerard M. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act: 2005. Silver Spring, MD: Spike & Fischer - A BNA Company, 2005. Print. Read More