Digital Rights Management 

Copyright Infringement 

After viewing these two Wikipedia entries, I looked through my information to see if there was anything that was left out. From my point of view, each site was very thorough and contained a great deal of information. However, both pages neglected to feature a discussion about the potential futures in the world of Digital Rights Management. On this topic, the future is especially important. DRM is one of those areas that can lead to a slippery slope. We do not want people violating copyrights, but at the same time, we need to make sure we are not invading people's privacy. DRM could lead down a dangerous path of media control over our electronic lives. As such, it is very important that people consider the future when thinking about this topic. Indeed, Wikipedia did not make a mention of plans for the future for DRM, other than briefly mentioning iTunes Plus (which is now 100% DRM free)

Why DRM is an issue today?

To search for sources to help answer this question, I used yahoo.com because of Yahoo's ability to give me relevant results based on placement of words in the search box. I searched for two things: First, I searched for "Digital Rights Management." Second, I searched for "Why DRM problem." In conducting these searches, I found the following sites to be helpful:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Rights_Managment

This is the wikipedia page on DRM. It answers well the question of why DRM is a problem today, as well as other issues. It provides a very comprehensive look at the issue. Wikipedia is funded by donations and is a non-profit agency. Wikipedia's greatest asset is also its greatest weakness, however. Anybody can go on to Wikipedia and enter content. This promises that both sides of the issue will be well represented. However, this also means that not all of the content can be trusted 100% of the time. As a result, this ensures that Wikipedia is not to be considered a scholarly source. 

http://epic.org/privacy/drm

This site is run by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) in Washington D.C. It is a public interest research institute devoted to technology and potential privacy issues. This site is also supported by donations. Unfortunately, the last time the site was updated was in 2004, making the content less than new. This site does give a more two-sided look at the issue, providing arguments for both sides (We need DRM to protect copyright holders, versus DRM is a violation of our 1st amendment and basic privacy privileges). This is a great site, but it is missing current information! There have been a great number of developments even in the past year. However, a quick Google search will reveal the major events in the DRM world over the past year.

First Real Post!

I chose to use Google search to investigate the topic. I found google useful here because it helps to know who the major players and web companies are in the issue of DRM. With the intensity of the issue, Google shows the leaders connected to DRM on the web. Since Google ranks pages based on how may sites link to the result, Google perfectly fit my needs. 

I searched for three things:

 - Digital Rights Management

 - iTunes Plus

 - DRM Free

The following two sites were most helpful:

http://www.eff.org/issues/drm 

From the Electronic Frontier Foundation. This site, updated almost daily, serves to educate the curious about the world of electronic information and how our privacy can be effected. They claim to be the first line of defense in cases where our electronic rights and privacy can be threatened. They are completely donor funded and are a non-profit agency. However, the site is lacking in information that would educate on how to make a difference in the issue if one were motivated to do so. 

http://arstechnica.com/articles/culture/drmhacks.ars

This site is an article written by Nate Anderson for the ARS Technica website. The article informs readers on various methods through which they can hack and undo DRM software and technology. The site is run by Condenet and makes its money from advertising. The site is full of information on techy gadgets and how to find loopholes in technology, but it neglects to provide information on technology laws. Essentially, the site instructs on how to do backdoor things with technology, but neglects to provide information on the illegal nature of the activity. 

Welcome!

Hello. I have started this little blog to discuss the issue of Digital Rights Management (DRM) in the media. This issue is especially critical in today's music industry. Throughout the course of this blog, I will explore the facts and viewpoints surrounding the topic and discuss potential ideas and solutions. It will be updated weekly, so check back often!