All about DRM

I would like to explain in a nutshell, what DRM is all about, without going into elaborate details!

Well, what is DRM?

DRM stands for Digital Rights Management and it is a protective software that limits you from doing things of your choice .For instance,when you purchase DRM music,

• It can curb your choice of music player
• Control how many PCs or digital music players on which a track can be played or transferred
• Curtail the number of times the file can be burnt to CD,DVD or memory card

Thus, if you buy a song from Itunes, it will only work on an Ipod , or if you buy a song from the Zune Marketplace, it will only work only on a Zune ! Moreover, DRM is also known as ‘copy protection’.

Next,What is DMCA?

DMCA stands for Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which can be a legal liability for you if you break the DRM or distribute the tools to break DRM, in order to burn CDS.

What are DRM licenses?

DRM licenses are media usage rights which categorizes how, where and when you can play the media. If you lose these licenses or media usage rights, you will not be able to play your purchased tracks till you get the licenses again!

Thus DRM and the DMCA, is sort of danger to your rights! Before buying DRM music from any service, be absolutely certain about the limitations of the music you purchase. You also need to understand an important pointer about DRM music..‘You have bought it, but they still own it’


Copyright © 2009 Laila Rajaratnam. All Rights Reserved.