DRM and digital media in the Cloud - Essay Example

DRM AND DIGITAL MEDIA IN THE CLOUD Computer Science and Information Technology School The and 21 February2015DRM AND DIGITAL MEDIA IN THE CLOUD According to Lawrence (2006), Digital Restrictions management (DRM) involves the imposition of technological restrictions that limit the user’s control relative to digital media. In effect, a DRM prevents one from copying a song or eBook. However, according to Steve Jobs in his essay “thoughts on music” he argued that DRMs lacked the capability to stop music piracy.

In 2009, he provided DRM-free music through iTunes that later developed to be the largest music store globally (The Verge, 2012). Steve job’s argument had merit until recently with the development new cloud based distribution models (Dhamdhere, G, and Sangeeta, N, 2013, 15). Successful media services such as Netflix, Amazon, and Apple embrace modernized DRM systems in distribution their apps, music, and movies (The Verge, 2012). In effect, the widespread uses of the DRMs have resulted to erosion in its restrictive nature.

For instance with iTunes sharing of apps, movies and books has become easy as long as the registration of the devices takes place with Home sharing. Therefore, the advanced and complicated DRMs have made no progress in countering media privacy since the users do not recognize their existence. They seemingly appear to be invisible yet the media companies spend a lot of time and money in building these DRM systems. The thief therefore ignores the systems and it is invisible to the user (The Verge, 2012).

Ultra Violet’s position in the market reinforces the argument. Ultraviolet is a global DRM system, which coordinates DRM systems for purposes of linking them together (Wee Siong, K, Markus, B, and Kian Lee, 2011, 249). Ultraviolet lacks the capability to do away with media piracy since it allows sharing of media to other compatible apps and devices as long as the user has centralized rights token given after purchasing the media (The Verge, 2012). Additionally, it lacks the capacity to stop determined pirates who find around the system and accessing the said media through other channels such as through Bit Torrent.

In conclusion, although the business of movie production would not be profitable unless utilizing DRMs, it seems to dropping them altogether would be simpler. It lack of flexibility and inability to stop media piracy does not justify the millions of dollars and time consumed in building the system. ReferencesDhamdhere, G, and Sangeeta, N, 2013. Cloud Computing and Virtualization Technologies in Libraries. Hughes: Kluwer Academic Press. Pp. 1-138Lawrence, H, 2006. Introduction to Digital Rights Management DRM.

Cambridge: Belknap Press.The Verge, 2012. DRM and digital media in the Cloud. Available at: http://www.theverge.com/2012/1/24/2726874/drm-comeback-digital-media-cloud-ultravioletWee Siong, K, Markus, B, and Kian Lee, 2011.Towards a privacy-aware stream data management system for cloud applications. International Journal of Web and Grid Services, 7(3), pp. 246-267.