Legally protected, Digital Restrictions/Rights Management (DRM) removes rights we would otherwise have, such as the right to copy music to your mp3 player or to copy text for educational reasons. People should be able to use their rights
Digital Restrictions/Rights Management (DRM) is used to restrict the use of digital media or devices. As of 2008 New Zealanders can now bypass one type of DRM that allows us to watch movies from international regions, but other DRM restrictions are still legally protected even if these restrictions remove your rights.
The DRM Free movement is widespread and supported by mainstream media, including The Economist:
Belatedly, music executives have come to realise that DRM simply doesn't work. It is supposed to stop unauthorised copying, but no copy-protection system has yet been devised that cannot be easily defeated. All it does is make life difficult for paying customers, while having little or no effect on clandestine copying plants that churn out pirate copies.
While most of today's DRM schemes that come embedded on CDs and DVDs are likely to disappear over the next year or two, the need to protect copyrighted music and video will remain. Fortunately, there are better ways of doing this than treating customers as if they were criminals.
DRM Limits Competition and Creates Crippled Technology
As innovations in technology have emerged, the companies who distribute this technology have imposed restrictions on competitors through DRM. For example, technology that uses DVD or Blu-Ray video will always encounter DRM and this has effectively created an anti-competitive monopoly over video players. Without Government protection of DRM we could have better technology, more suited to artistic, educational, and public needs.
DRM technology will always be restricted, so if people wish to improve it independently they are encouraged to adopt illegal workarounds or to turn to illegal downloads where, ironically, they're not treated as criminals. What's more, illegal copying online is not stopped by DRM: DRM primarily has the effect of harming legitimate users.
People should be allowed to exercise their rights by bypassing DRM. Stand up and make your voice heard: Let's make New Zealand DRM free.
Update (January 23rd 2009): Apple have announced that iTunes will soon be DRM-Free, and so now iTunes joins eMusic, Amazon and most other music retailers in recognising the need for DRM-Free music. This is big news and although our DRM-Free campaign continues in other areas people now have a much wider choice of DRM-Free Music. The Creative Freedom Foundation congratulates Apple on this change!
What You Can Do
- Show your support: Sign up!
- Spread the word! Tell others about this site. Email them this site, and explain what you think about it to them.
- Write to Government: remember, there's no point getting angry so be polite, respectful and clear in your correspondence. It'll be more persuasive that way.
- Join the CFF Facebook group
- Find us on MySpace.
Read More
- Defective By Design
- DRM.info
- Poster: Harming Legimate Customers.
- TC/DRM in Government newsletter from Archives New Zealand.
