Tip #3056 - DRM
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Q:
I ran into the letters DRM the other day and I have no idea what they
mean. Can you help?
A:
Doesn't it just drive you crazy when you come across certain terms or
acronyms and you have no idea what they mean? It drives me bonkers! That's
why I always do a quick search for it and I find out right away. That
way, my wondering mind wonders no more. So, you want to know what DRM
stands for? Well, stay with me and you'll find out!
DRM is short for Digital
Rights Management and it mainly deals with copyright protection issues
on CDs, DVDs, etc. DRM is the technology that publishers, who are the
copyright owners, use to control the access of their data, including software,
music, movies and some hardware. As I said before, DRM is associated with
copyright protection and also technical protections measures. Both of
these technologies work to secure the access of digital media and they
both work in reference to the DRM design.
There are other types
of DRM as well. One in particular is Enterprise Digital Rights Management
(E-DRM). This type doesn't work so much with controlling digital media,
but it's more on the side of corporate documents, such as Word, PDF, TIFF
and AutoCAD files. E-DRM subscribers include Microsoft, Adobe and EMC
Corporation. There are also some open source companies that take advantage
of it as well.
The biggest thing
that surrounds DRM is the controversy over it. Obviously, the music distributors
and broadcasting companies object to any sort of copying of the music
or whichever data they're working with. On the other hand, the consumers
(you!) think otherwise. Some people think that if they pay their own money
to buy the CDs or the DVDs, they should be able to do what they want with
them.
If you try to copy
any digital media, you may run into some problems, depending on the programs
you use. For example, the digital media player software you use, like
Windows Media Player, etc. Although copyright protection is making a bigger
scene these days than in the past, it just depends on what type of media
you buy to know how many problems you'll run into. There are also programs
out there today that help you get past the copyright restrictions, but
all of that just makes the controversy rise even higher.
DRM is mainly used
in connection with the entertainment industry, but it's making its way
to other media types as well. Even stores like iTunes and e-books have
placed DRM restrictions on their material. It's so easy to duplicate data
these days and everyone has to try and keep their information safe. I
guess that's what it all comes down to.
It is one's own opinion,
but be careful what you do when working with DRM protection. Be careful
not to dig yourself into a copyright hole!
~ Erin
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