TimesofOman.com: Digital Rights Management

Below is the latest column in the series of articles that are published on the TimesofOman.com online website.

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Digital Rights Management

We are now living in the age of modern technological breakthroughs and information technology expansion. So, it is only understandable that this would have an impact on us all; whether it is now or at a later point in time.

One of these advancements in the technology field is a system that helps artists and media companies alike manage their copyrights in terms of being stolen or robbed of the intellectual property rights they hold for the hard work within the bounds of an electronic system – Digital Rights Management – or DRM, for short.

Although it is understandable that this system protects the author's rights for their hard work, it also has bad implications, too. Such implications are restriction of using the media purchased on different operating systems, and players in comparison to just the one player that would 'legally' play those types of files.

DRM also has the customer who buys the protected piece of material 'by the chains', as it bounds the consumer from copying the material bought to their system for a limited time and also holds the possibility of stopping users from probably enjoying their purchased song because it needs authorization every time a part of it is played.

Copyrights are one thing, but restricting access to purchased material is altogether uncalled for. As it hinders the actual image of art of which carries the message of peace, hope, love and unity through the many emotions we discover in our world in our almost daily listening to music or watching a TV programme or ever reading a book. Not only that, it also puts an obstacle of putting restrictions on what the user of the bought material wants to do with and possibly pushing him into committing into something illegal like downloading a crack file that would allow him to access the 'legally' purchased file.

Bottom line is that most of the companies who favor using DRM in their various media types aren't all exactly about protecting theirs and their artists' rights. But, rather, they are more into the monetary schemes behind it – namely stopping individuals from downloading these various files over the Internet and accessing the files illegally. Thus, maintaining the upward curve in their sales figures and keeping the money flowing into the organization.

Many people who believe in the first amendment say that this very much so but have no power over such acts in the media industry.

It is pretty much up to the people to decide in that field.

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Link:

- TimesofOman.com: Digital Rights Management