APIG Inquiry into Digital Rights Management

DRM is used to describe a number of technologies that can be incorporated into electronic devices to control the use of digital media. DRM is usually thought of as "copy protection" for music, films and video games, but can have much wider application, allowing computer software to be rented, or providing assurance that only authorised programs are executed on a particular computer.

The policy debate around DRM is often cast on the one hand as to how music publishers and movie moguls can prevent revenue loss from illegal duplication. On the other hand, consumers may lose existing rights to freely enjoy what they have purchased and to pass it on to others when they have finished with it.

However, to portray the issues surrounding DRM as merely a consumer versus publisher debate is misleading. DRM permits the creation of new business models where you buy the right to read a book just once, or pay a fraction of penny every time you play a song. This allows publishers greatly flexibility in the services they offer and leads to increased consumer choice.

Launching the inquiry, APIG Chairman Derek Wyatt MP said “DRM systems bring threats and opportunities to both publishers and consumers. This inquiry will seek to establish how consumers, artists and the distribution companies should be protected in a continually evolving market place”

The inquiry seeks written evidence particularly focusing upon the following:

- Whether DRM distorts traditional tradeoffs in copyright law;
- Whether new types of content sharing license (such as Creative Commons or Copyleft) need legislation changes to be effective;
- How copyright deposit libraries should deal with DRM issues;
- How consumers should be protected when DRM systems are discontinued;
- To what extent DRM systems should be forced to make exceptions for the partially sighted and people with other disabilities;
- What legal protections DRM systems should have from those who wish to circumvent them;
- Whether DRM systems can have unintended consequences on computer functionality;
- The role of the UK Parliament in influencing the global agenda for this type of technical issue.

APIG calls upon interested parties to present written evidence to the inquiry before 21st December 2005.

Written evidence should be submitted to admin@apig.org.uk. APIG may, at its discretion, ask for oral evidence from witnesses in January 2006 at the Houses of Parliament.

For guidelines for witnesses and links to relevant documents click here