Digital rights for a digital age26 October 2005
Search engine giants Google and Yahoo have both recently announced that they intend to index book collections held by the world's major libraries in order to index their content and make offline information accessible.
But such proposals have raised questions about what chief scientist at IPR systems Renato Iannella calls "one of the greatest challenges for content communities in this digital age", digital rights management (DRM).
An issue that is proving controversial between the producers of digital media and civil liberties campaigners, in the business context it is vital that digital media be protected from piracy without affecting negatively the user's experience of the material.
The way in which businesses today exchange data through peer-to-peer networks means that it is easy to use material, accidentally or otherwise, that are actually copyright protected. For small businesses, it is a good idea to become acquainted with how to protect information and data from unauthorised use or reproduction.
What to consider when implementing DRM
DRM is a broad term, which actually covers a variety of techniques and technologies for restricting the free transfer of information. Most commonly used to protect video and music data, it can also be implemented effectively in a business environment.
It is essentially the "lending" of rights to certain content for a period of time, and the storage of protected data in encrypted form to prevent unauthorised access. Windows Media DRM is a flexible platform that allows digital media to be played back without risk of piracy. SyncCast also offers a range of software to allow content owners and distributors to manage digital rights.
If you are planning on implementing DRM technology in your business, here are a few of the things you should consider.
- It is important to identify which data types you need to protect, documents, spreadsheets and so on, and choose a DRM product that will be compatible for all.
- Ensure you are aware of the differences in rights management between media types, as rights can vary between, say, documents and media files.
- Because DRM involves the encryption and protection of data through authorisation codes and passwords, it is essential to plan how to transfer content between staff members in the event of password loss or staff changes.
- Ensure that whichever DRM technology you choose is compatible with your existing IT infrastructure, like databases and email servers.
For more information on how to protect your business data and intellectual property, see the Business Link website.
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