Why are Digital Rights Management Technology Used?

By employing digital rights management to secure this media, content creators and copyright holders can prohibit others from altering or misusing their work.

FREMONT, CA: Digital rights management (DRM) is a set of technology standards that enables makers of software programs and digital media to impose access controls on their product(s), including restrictions on the product's use, reproduction, modification, and distribution.

Software firms and digital media companies invest significant money and time in product research, development, and marketing. However, in this age of technology and connection, it is not difficult for individuals with illegitimate interests to create and disseminate unauthorized/pirated copies of applications/multimedia that could ordinarily be utilized only after paying for them—piracy results in a significant revenue loss. Many copyright protection laws (which vary by nation) prohibit such behaviors, yet they have been ineffective in preventing piracy.

This is precisely when DRM enters the picture. The numerous technologies included in this category establish procedures that make stealing the product exceedingly difficult, if not impossible. The access control it enforces inhibits unauthorized copying, distribution, and product use.

The following are some DRM technologies:

Limited Install Activations: This technology limits the number of people who can install the software application/video game on their PCs. This is accomplished by requiring an online activation via the vendor's server following the product's installation. Consider the case of anti-virus software which is a 'three-user only' solution. This would need the user to activate it online once installed on a computer system. The user may install the product on a maximum of three computers concurrently, as the server will verify the number of computers from which it was activated. This restricts the number of users.

Persistent online authentication: Persistent online authentication, also known as always-on-DRM, requires the user to be connected to the product's online server to utilize it. This is especially common with video games that require the user to connect to the server to play, even while the user is in single-player mode. This, however, has a significant disadvantage: the product becomes unusable if the internet connection fails.

Software tampering: Numerous suppliers purposefully include dormant bugs in their programs and video games activated when the product is suspected of being pirated. For instance, when the computer is connected to the internet, and the product creates a connection with the server, the game will purposefully crash. Microsoft Windows, too, added this functionality in Windows XP and Windows 7. The desktop wallpaper would become black, and the volume icon would be locked if the OS was discovered to be pirated.

Product keys: This has been the most prevalent method of certifying a product. When the user purchases the application, he or she is issued with a product key, which must be entered during the application's installation. The server would then check for a match, as each copy of the application has a unique key. The product is not activated if a match is discovered.

Enterprise DRM: It is a synergy of identity and access management and encryption. The content is encrypted and protected with a mechanism that enables various entities to have distinct access and modification policies. The protection is device and access location agnostic. It is mainly used to safeguard Microsoft Word documents, PDF files, and AutoCAD files.