DRM and the Secret War inside Your Devices
DRM and the Secret War inside Your Devices
This chapter address technologies that are collectively known as Digital Rights Management (DRM). DRM is a set of software-based tools implemented by copyright holders, device makers, and retailers to monitor and restrict consumer behavior. For example, after the Supreme Court took the side of consumers and affirmed the legality of the VCR, Hollywood threw its weight behind the DVD, an encrypted format that allowed studios to dictate the design and functionality of playback devices. These and other forms of technological self help are strengthened by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which prohibits the bypassing, disabling, or otherwise circumventing the digital locks that DRM represents. But the DMCA has largely failed to prevent circumvention, and many copyright holders have recognized that the restrictions imposed by DRM discourage consumers from buying encumbered products. Moreover, as the Sony rootkit incident demonstrates, DRM puts consumer security and privacy at risk.
Keywords: Digital Rights Management, DRM, Digital Millennium Copyright Act, DMCA, Circumvention, Rootkit
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