Day Against DRM

May fourth is the international day against digital restrictions management, led by the organizations Defective by Design and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, among others.
Defective by Design – “This is a critical moment in the fight against DRM. A proposal currently being considered by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) would weave DRM into HTML5 — in other words, into the very fabric of the Web.”

EFF – “DRM software restricts the way users can interact with content, which hits close to home for an organization like EFF. Even worse, “anti-circumvention” laws that regulate whether users can bypass DRM, like section 1201 of the DMCA, effectively give that software the force of law.”

Here’s how to identify DRM, according to the EFF.
“Digital Rights Management (DRM) technologies attempt to control what you can and can’t do with the media and hardware you’ve purchased.
-Bought an ebook from Amazon but can’t read it on your ebook reader of choice? That’s DRM.
-Bought a DVD or Blu-Ray but can’t copy the video onto your portable media player? That’s DRM.
-Bought a video-game but can’t play it today because the manufacturer’s “authentication servers” are off-line? That’s DRM.
-Bought a smart-phone but can’t use the applications or the service provider you want on it? That’s DRM.”

Another definition from DRM.info.
“Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) is any technology that is built into an electronic product or service with the aim of limiting its range of uses after purchase. It is designed to prevent customers from using digital technology in ways that do not correspond to the business agenda of a content provider or device manufacturer.”

Here’s where you can find products and artists who are against DRM. And of course here on Green Comet. All files made available for download here are guaranteed DRM-free.

rjb