The government has rejected calls for a ban on
digital rights management (DRM) technologies
for digital content.
Campaigners against DRM technology started a petition on the
Downing Street e-petition site, demanding that
it be banned, as it limited consumer use of purchased digital
content and locked users into particular playback platforms.
Over 1,400 people signed the petition in support, but Downing
Street has
rejected the call, defending the rights of
content providers to use the technology.
The Downing Street response to the petition said, “Many content
providers have been embedding access and management tools to
protect their rights and, for example, prevent illegal copying.
“We believe that they should be able to continue to protect
their content in this way. However, DRM does not only act as a
policeman through technical protection measures, it also enables
content companies to offer the consumer unprecedented choice in
terms of how they consume content, and the corresponding price they
wish to pay.”
The government said it was, however, sensitive to consumer
concerns about DRM restrictions that users are not informed about
prior to buying content.
It said, “The needs and rights of consumers must also be
carefully safeguarded. It is reasonable for consumers to be
informed what is actually being offered for sale, for example, and
how and where the purchaser will be able to use the product, and
any restrictions applied.
“While there is good reason to expect the market to reach a
balance as these new markets develop, it is important that
consumers' interests are maintained in the meantime.”
Sony attracted
a wave of negative publicity when it was found it had embedded its
music CDs with DRM software that prevented their wider use, without
informing customers.
It was found that the DRM software left a backdoor on PCs for
potential hackers when the CDs were played on a computer.
The company recently settled out of court with the US government
over the fiasco, which included having to shell out millions of
dollars in compensation to consumers.
http://defectivebydesign.org/
Sony CD DRM settlement may cost millions
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