Marty Shindler, ceo of The Shindler Perspective.

Having discussed the concept of digital rights management, or DRM, with a number of people in recent months, it seems there are those who are very knowledgeable about DRM by virtue of their roles in their organizations and others who may not have the same in-depth information on the topic, but need to be better informed in order to assess where their organizations must take action.

This article, therefore, attempts to discuss the ABCs of DRM so that the latter group, in particular, may gain better insight into the DRM concept. It is not intended as the ultimate white paper on the topic, but rather a starting point leading to implementation of a DRM program, which should include images and sound elements as well as important corporate documents. These are differentiated as Media DRM vs. Enterprise DRM.

Background
Earlier in my career I worked at one of the major studios at a time when the PC and the video/home entertainment market were both in their infancy. It was not unusual for people to “borrow” someone else’s software for their computers, even in the corporate environment. People’s eyes were opened when the chairman sent a company-wide memo indicating that the company did not want others to copy its software (movies) and therefore we should not be copying PC software. Well put. This instance is my earliest recollection of the piracy/illegal copying issue raised in my workplace.

Today, for example, Microsoft requires online authentication of its new software products as a means of minimizing its exposure to piracy. Generally speaking, its applications will not open more than 50 times without the authentication taking place.

The ABCs of DRM
DRM is all about digital content and protecting those who own it from having it stolen or used by someone not authorized to do so. It is about putting virtual locks on the content from audio and video material to documents created in Word, Excel or other software products. All are equally important and invaluable to their owners.

In its most basic form of protecting rights and access, consider how ATM cards and hotel keys with their magnetic stripes work, allowing or disallowing access, how smart cards afford protection or even PDF files which can be structured to prevent copying, printing and redistribution.

Learn the ABCs of DRM before your rights get smashed. Photo courtesy of iStockPhoto.com.

To begin, let’s look at the basic concepts of DRM, with the emphasis on media such as films and TV programs:

• Content is valuable – by means of the trickle down theory, we are all impacted by unprotected content;
• Protected content preserves value – if the product is free, there is no value to the owner other than perhaps some goodwill;
• Rights to content must be controlled – authorized users only may be allowed access and only under the rights that the owners wish to convey.

With the forgoing in mind, it is important to understand the basic premise that digital delivery of content is prevalent and becoming progressively more so due to the increasing penetration of broadband.

There is currently an insatiable demand for digital content from the legal and illegal downloading of movies and music to the digital pictures consumers put on their web sites for all to see. This seemingly insatiable appetite for digital content will only increase as it becomes easier to satisfy users through their broadband connections, which 240 million households are expected to have by 2008, according to research from In-Stat/MDR.

New business models for content created and stored digitally demand the protections afforded by DRM due to the inherent risks created by digital delivery. Threats to content created digitally are due to the ability to send files seamlessly across the globe, authorized or unauthorized. With more PCs having DVD drives, a growing number of PCs with DVD-RW drives and digital video recorders/PVRs means that recorded content can achieve mass distribution easily if unprotected.

The inadvertent click of a mouse can send sensitive documents into the wrong hands. The purposeful click on that same mouse can cause even greater problems. With an “always on” world, it is as easy to access or send a file across the world as it is to open a file resident on our computers.

Organizations of all sizes should have document retention policies so that their employees may know the procedures related to document protection and retention. In the pre-digital days, it was often considered adequate to put locks on doors, filing cabinets, etc. to keep prying eyes out. The protection of that digital content now rests with DRM.