Digital Rights Management (DRM): Media Companies' Next Flop?

The noise over what to do about Digital Rights Management and how the idea should be approached is a battle that's been raging on for a while now. Public outcry was sparked last year when rootkit software was discovered on CDs produced by Sony, and really hasn't died down since. In their latest article, eCoustics discusses what DRM has become, and how it can possibly affect us 20-30 years down the road.

"DRM has become a huge flashpoint for consumers because of one simple fact -- entertainment companies' fear of piracy. The music industry -- rattled by its bitter experience with peer-to-peer networks that allowed consumers to swap music across the Internet for free -- has worked feverishly to win court battles and shut down file-sharing services like the original Napster and Grokster."