Present state and emerging scenarios of digital rights management systems |
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| Authors: | Marc Fetscherin |
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| Institution: | Research and teaching assistant at the Institute of Information Systems , University of Bern , Switzerland E-mail: fetscherin@iwi.unibe.ch |
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| Abstract: | Abstract This article focuses on technological solutions, such as Digital Rights Management Systems (DRMS), which enable on one hand rights protection of intellectual property digital content, and on the other hand it should increase security and privacy of confidential and personal information exchange over semi open or open networks such as the Internet. First, this article will define and provide an overview of the key components of DRMS and respond to the questions of why such systems are needed, where they can be used, and how these systems work. Second, it will discuss the advantages and drawbacks of current DRMS. It will respond to the questions of what are the advantages and drawbacks when using such systems. Finally, this article puts forward four key factors for the emergence of DRMS: legal, regulatory & technologicaly, business, and the social environment. It then applies these factors to define two contrasting and polar emergence scenarios, the “weak DRMS’ and ‘strong DRMS’ scenario. With a framework established, this paper goes on to argue that the ‘weak DRMS’ scenario will remain the status quo in the short term. Primarily because of slow emergence of legislation on global scale, lack of a pervasive technology standard, contrasting interest among stakeholders, and consumer resistance to restrictive technologies that erode existing freedoms. |
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