The Use of Digital Rights Management (DRM) Proves to be an Ineffective Way to Prohibit Online Piracy

Over the last few decades, many digital media companies strive to protect their products from copyright infringement. From Apple to Microsoft, such companies have implemented—or still continue to implement—the use of DRM on their products.

DRM, which stands for “Digital Rights Management”, is the use of technological restrictions that attempt to control what a media users can do with their products. Traditionally, DRM is achieved through a series of codes that prevent a user doing a myriad of actions to their products, such as copying or sharing media. In the end, DRM attempts to stop piracy through the means of extreme control, making it extremely anti-consumer and anti-user.

DRM can be applied to a myriad of electronic and digital media, such as music, movies, eBooks, games, and software. In addition, it also has an innumerable amount of functions that ultimately prohibit users from doing a handful of actions when it comes to their products. Some examples include:

• A movie software limiting the number of digital copies a user can make.
• Music files, such as digital audio, prohibiting users from sharing with others.
• Online bookstores restricting on the number of devices a certain eBook can be on.
• Online games preventing products to resold or traded with others.

Audials Tunebite 6
A popular program that removes
DRM from an array of digital media.

If DRM has so much restriction and tries to prevent copyright infringement, then why does online piracy still exist? Perhaps the major reason why the use of DRM is ineffective in today’s digital world is that a few tech-savvy users have devised a way to bypass against the restrictive codes, thus proving that it can be hacked. Suprisingly, there are many products out there that can bypass DRM, with a number of websites even recommending “Top 5 DRM Removing Programs” that can be bought and used on almost any media platform.

An example of how DRM can be “hacked” is through illegally downloaded music. Apple’s iTunes once contained DRM in their collection of digital media content, such as music. Once users found out that they could not share their music with others, some developed and used the aforementioned DRM removing programs to counteract against the DRM codes. Currently, such users who provide DRM-free music are now sharing with millions of people for free, subsequently illustrating the world of piracy.

Consumers created a poster that illustrates
their anger against Xbox One and its use
of DRM in its online gaming market.

In the context of today’s marketplace, DRM proves to have a significant relevance to the digital media industry. One such example is the controversy surrounding Microsoft’s upcoming product: the Xbox One. After revealing that the new Xbox one will exclusively use downloadable media protected by DRM, many consumers were angered, ultimately boycotting against the company’s decision by refusing to buy the device. When realizing the amount of consumers and revenue the company has lost, Microsoft decided to make their content DRM free. Since then, many companies have followed in the footsteps of Microsoft and are considering to make their content DRM-free as well, hoping to avoid losing customers.

Overall, DRM can be ineffective in a numerous amount of ways. Although it strives to thwart off copyright infringement, many people have learned to bypass the restrictions, thus perpetuating the act of piracy. Many consumers are angered by the use of DRM because of its harsh restrictions; they believe users should determine what they can do with the products they buy, not the companies.