These days, you don’t need to buy a ticket to watch a movie. A day after its release, you’ll invariably find any blockbuster in one of those sharing websites, ready to be downloaded for free. Count the amount of money that the industry is losing every year.
Why only cinema? Buying music albums has been reduced to a joke today, with almost everyone downloading music from websites. And if at all someone buys an album, he makes sure that its copy reaches every single friend. Talk about value for money!
Here comes the question. Today a movie or a music album involves investments in millions. Is it only to be shared for free? Is there a way to save all this money? Here comes the savior- Digital Rights Management, abbreviated as DRM.
In simple terms, DRM collectively refers to all the measures that prevents unauthorized (read Free) usage of the content in digital medium. With increased piracy, DRM is appearing to be the business of tomorrow, with a gross global business prediction of $2.4 billion by 2015. While North America represents the largest market today, market gurus pin their hopes on India and China to take the lead in the DRM market.
So how does DRM work? There isn’t a single answer for this. Often the main data is accompanied with a piece of data that tells who may or may not use it, to establish differential access. The restrictions vary. Windows Vista contains its own DRM system, Protected Media Path to ensure that restricted content can be played only on Media Player. Apple iTunes on the other hand is usually quite generous with DRM restrictions. But when it comes to certain music players, Apple has set restrictions too. Some CDs are made only for players and not for computers, in order to prevent copying.
Not withstanding so many different solutions, music and movie pirates are able to do their job with admirable finesse! While the industry advocates buying only original work, a technology solution is required to address the problem fully.
First, the software, should be tough to crack, as every second day, hackers find ways to sidestep restrictions. The technology should enable having control, even after sharing the files. Also, it should support all important formats and should enforce usage restrictions regardless of the devices on which it is played. Another important factor is being able to dynamically change the rights. This will give the owners full control on who can use original work and how the usage can be allowed.
Such a solution for movie and music piracy is possible. Similar issues are prevalent for information and document leakages. And solutions are available to address them. Choosing the right software is the need of the hour.
FileSecure offers such end-to-end persistent control for documents. It enables controlling document usage even after distribution, regardless of where it is lying physically. Such technology will help to mitigate the risk of information breach in case of documents and ensure that your fruit of labor doesn't sell for free in case of art!
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4 comments:
"Such a solution for movie and music piracy is possible."
How can technology restrict a person from carrying a videocam to a multiplex? Can technology supercede moral conduct, ever? Just today, I read Apple restricting iPhone users from using Google Voice app (a VoIP implementation) inorder to save his partner AT&T from losing significant money. don`t you think such corporate monopoly provoke tweakers to infringe DRM?
2) A producer/director makes a film partly to fulfil his dream, idea, his motivation and generate enough money to pay his guild and media/technology partners. He never consults his fans/customers regarding product pricing since his film viewing comes at a fixed cost irrespective of how much he spends. Ultimately product quality rules i.e. whether its "value" increases over time. If it does, it means more fanbase, moviegoers, DVD sales and live show attendance.
Hi Priyesh,
I think the context of the post is (a little) different.
The only way to prevent someone from carrying a videocam to a multiplex is physical frisking. There are various methods of "analog leaks" of content available today i.e. Even in an ipod there is nothing which prevents a person from attaching a sound recorder to the audio output and just (re)record the whole song.
The issue that we are dealing with is about "raising the bar" as far as ease of piracy goes so that the creator has a higher chance to getting what we wants and deserves.
Moral conduct, human cognition and ethics are not things which technology can affect .. but ease of piracy can be affected.
Your views ??
Perfectly agreed but difficult to digest especially when the student community faces real trouble using certain logos, artwork, design/software data for individual projects which are essentially non-commercial purpose. Again, I wish this should not be an excuse to unauthorized usage but the situation is such that one finds himself really helpless. I guess, I see a point in why you mentioned "being able to dynamically change the rights" . Even in that case, deal negotiation, discretion, agreement signing etc. becomes part and parcel of DRM ordeal.
I think the "DRM Ordeal" is in the process of becoming a part and parcel of everyday information usage. When we go to the airport, we are OK with getting frisked and going through security checks etc. simply because we are used to it. The DRM / IRM technology has been built because of a few incidents but needs to be followed by everyone .. after all one 9/11 is good enough to kill a lot of people !!
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