A new
idea for how to work with digital rights management (DRM) was posted recently
on the International Digital Publishing Forum. Bill Rosenblatt of GiantSteps
Media Technology Strategies proposed a “DRM-light” standard that would have
some restrictions, but would not get in the way of a user’s experience, such as
used with iTune’s FairPlay DRM.
While the
middle course that tries to provide solutions to both publishers and users
seems like a good idea, Chris Meadows, senior writer for TeleRead, just isn’t
buying it.
Copyright
holders see DRM as a benefit that protects their work. Meadows also points out
that “DRM-light” would actually be a step back for publishers already committed
to DRM-free titles.
“We don’t
need a ‘kinder, gentler DRM,’” Meadows wrote in his TeleRead blog post. “It
would only serve as a crutch to let media companies cling longer to the
illusion that DRM is helpful. We can already crack DRM on e-books—or bypass it
by scanning paper books in. DRM is no barrier to the tech-savvy, and only
hinders the non-tech-savvy. It’s only a needless frustration. Admit it and move
on.”
