DRM: To Prevent Piracy or Secure Loyalty?
What started as a clause in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 to protect the infringement of copyrighted works, such as movies, books and music, has blossomed into a full-fledged debate on who owns, who can modify, and who can repair the products consumers purchase. These products can range from cell phones and cars to children’s toys and ebooks, making it almost a certainty that everyone has at least one DRM-protected product in their home. The companies who place the DRM on these products can control who uses, modifies, and distributes the copyrighted works and products.