DRM: Digital rights management or digital restrictions management?

Digital rights management (DRM) constitutes the technological measures by which information providers control user access to electronic products to prevent the downloading or printing of online content in amounts that could substitute for product subscriptions or purchases. DRM limitations on the types of uses and their frequency are encoded directly in the products or the hardware needed to use them. This challenges the fair use provisions of copyright law, which offer room for interpretation on whether particular uses compromise the commercial value of copyrighted content. Since DRM measures are part of licensing agreements between vendors and users, they override fair use. This session will provide the rationale for DRM, explain the conflicts between copyright holder and user rights arising from DRM implementation, discuss legislative issues, and suggest alternatives to DRM that might satisfy both parties.