Why DRM Isn't so Great - The Drawbacks of Digital Rights Management

DRM is the abbreviation for Digital Rights Management, a technology that refers to a kind of copyright that can be controlled by its owners through the use of digital data or hardware. This is not in any way the same as copy protection. DRM has been the topic of many discussions and debates in the last few years. With digital music becoming more popular to the average consumer, many critics are now saying that use of the word "Rights" is misleading because the technology actually restricts many users from manipulating the music that they purchase on CD. Thus, here are a few reasons why the DRM technology just won't work for consumers in the future.

DRM does not protect files from illegal usage

A lot of publishers believe that DRM will protect files from piracy. But this is not the case because there are many software tools that allow a user to bypass the so-called protection that DRM provides. In fact, it only makes it more difficult for consumers to access the files. This is exactly the reason that the popularity of DRM will continue to wane: because it is too difficult to access what you just purchased.

DRM is expensive

The technology that allows producers to "protect" their content is actually more expensive than people think. People behind the technology have to go through endless hours to develop it, license it, encode the media file, etc. And the cost is shouldered by retailers and content producers, a.k.a. the musicians behind the music. This means that more money is spent and less is made because of DRM "protected" files. This means that Royalty rates are affected. It doesn't seem that musicians around the world will take to this technology very soon knowing what they have to lose.

Some DRM costs are also shouldered by consumers

What a lot of people don't know is that DRM is not something that comes for free. In some cases, as mentioned above, the producers shoulder the expenses. But if they don't want to pay for these things, automatically the expense is transferred to the consumers through rising prices. For example, iTunes sells its songs at 99 cents but there are other services out there that can sell the same music for 25 cents. This is because the other services do not include DRM products in their stores.

DRM content is locked to specific players

Content that includes DRM technology in it will probably only play in particular players. For example, the Apple DRM technology will only allow the iPod to play its material. Therefore, it will not work on other platforms such as Microsoft's Zune or the other line of players that are released by competitors like Creative. This, honestly, is a nuisance for the consumer. DRM-free content will actually work on all platforms so that the consumer does not have to think too hard about what player to purchase.

Digital Rights Managements is something that is not highly favored by all markets. In fact, many organizations in Europe are opposed to it. There is even a citizen group called StopDRM in France that protests the use of DRM in many cities. The argument is that DRM restricts the consumers' rights, or in other words, they feel that their freedom is ironically being managed for them. For now, DRM has a long way to go before becoming a thing of the past.