By Sylvia Carr, 15 November 2005 14:55
NEWS
The All Party Parliamentary Internet Group (Apig) is taking a closer look at digital rights management (DRM).
The group, which aims to promote discussion between lawmakers and the new media industries, has launched an inquiry into the issues surrounding DRM, the results of which will form the basis of recommendations it will make to parliament on how to deal with the burgeoning technology.
Apig is taking on the issue because it believes it's "a big issue for consumers", according to a spokesman, and not just because of the attention it has received in the press. Recently DRM has made headlines due to security flaws in Sony's DRM technology and the ongoing debates between copyright owners and media pirates.
From now until 21 December Apig is asking anyone with an opinion on DRM and related issues - including companies, industry organisations, academics and individuals - to submit their concerns in writing.
An Apig spokesperson emphasised that all voices will be heard. "A 16-year-old's opinion on DRM is as welcome as Microsoft's," he told silicon.com.
He added that the group is "sympathetic to commercial considerations" but will keep an open mind during the process as the aim is to come up with a balanced report that represents all viewpoints on the issue and that will help parliament in creating informed policies.
The written evidence will be assessed by an as-yet unnamed academic and certain respondents will be asked to give further oral evidence to MPs. All this will be included in a final report, which is due out "earlier rather than later" next year, according to the APIG spokesman.
Apig is particularly interested in the effects of DRM on copyright law, how it affects consumers and whether changes to current legislation are necessary.
Earlier this year, the EU investigated the implications of the spread of DRM because it believed the technology could threaten individuals' privacy.
Comments
There are 7 comments. Join the discussion
1. anonymous
Where do we send our comments? There is no mention on the apig site.
2. zakala
Interestingly there's nothing about this on the APIG website yet (it doesn't seem to have been updated since March) and the request that all opinions have to be in writing rather seems counter to the groups aims. But if they do mean writing as in pen and paper rather than keyboard and email here's the snail mail address:
APIG Secretariat
23 Palace Street
London
SW1E 5HW
For those that want to chance contacting them via that treacherous, new-fangled, internet contaraption here's the Secretariat's email address:
admin@apig.org.uk
Let's hope there's a little more understanding of the technologies and their social impact in the debate...
3. anonymous
DRM should be used to prevent piracy.
That's all.
Not to stop an individaul who has purchased a CD from playing it in a PC.
Not to stop someone who downloaded a track onto a white MP3 player from playing it on a mobile phone.
And most definitely NOT to force customers into buying their music from only one outlet, just to match their chosen hardware.
Sony audio CD players play CDs from other music publishers apart from their own, so why doesn't an iPod download music from other on-line music stores? Surely this restriction is illegal?
It is most surely immoral.
And while we're on the subject, can anyone tell me why music from a particular artist can only be purchased from one record company?
Surely the artist owns the copyright in his/her work, not the record company?
Do Kodak and Fuji therefore own the copyright in every photograph ever taken? I don't think so...
4. anonymous
DRM is having a very negative impact on the industry. Bottom line is the consumer does not want it -- period. The industry will always lose some sales due to piracy, yet rather than embrace new ways to market (increasingly inferior) products they resort to draconian measures that push away the consumer. Ironically, it is the consumer who actually funds the music/video business, but Big Content is confused about this.
If Big Content would not insist on DRM, then iPod/iTunes would not be so powerful. Your DVD here would play in England too. And so on.
I find the value of lossy compressed, DRM infected content to be exactly zero. I will not buy it -- ever. I can't state my position more plainly. It's up to Big Content if they want my money or not.
5. Simon
And wouldn't it be nice if their website actually admitted to this !
6. Martyn Coupland
I think that used responsibly DRM software can be a good thing. At the end of the day nobody wants to see the music industry die because of piracy.
Sony on the other hand I feel have abused their position as a record label and left systems open to trojans and spyware dut their XCP software.
7. Another Honest Consumer
I have to echo the fellow honest consumers sentiments. DRM is unwanted by the people paying for the content, i will not buy DRM protected content from the shops or online. People who illegally distribute content will not be stopped by DRM as it can easily be sidestep through re-recording. Therfore people who want to buy or attain illegal copies will neither be stopped by DRM, nor will it increase revinues for the distributors as these people are not going to pay full price at any cost anyway, and are already willing to view lower quality recordings to avoid paying full price.