DRM

What’s the value of a bit? It seems that going after folks who have traded songs or movies online is a huge expenditure of effort and money. Is DRM-protected content the way to go? If you don’t agree, propose another method for the distribution of digital multimedia so that content creators can still be compensated.

It is interesting how much value is placed on a bit. According to Abelson article one illegally downloaded song could cost anywhere from $200 to $150,000. This should be a deterrence for anyone to download illegally when songs cost at maximum $1.29 on iTunes. Either people do not know or do not understand the enormous consequence of their actions because illegal downloading of music and other media files is prevalent.
The RIAA has been working to stop these illegal transactions of media. They use software to find and contact those people who have some amount of suspicious files. They put forth a large amount of effort in order to catch what they consider to be "cyber criminals." There are laws and it is illegal to download copyrighted material. This organization is simply enforcing laws that are easily and often broken. These laws are like speed limits. Many people go over the speed limit but the major violators are the ones that pay the most. It is not possible to catch all the speedsters or illegal downloaders but everyday another person is caught.
I do not agree with all aspects of DRM protected content. There are several setbacks and restrictions that make this media control technique less than optimal. The restriction that this type of media puts on organizations, such as iTunes and musicload, is a tight spot for their respective customers. The DRM software would not allow certain music files to be played. This problem invites people to find ways to bend and get around the rules put in place, just as people circumvent the system of buying music.
I feel that with any system people will learn to navigate around and squeeze through loopholes. People will do a lot to avoid paying for music when they believe that the record companies already make more than enough money. This brings us back the previously discussed idea of the hot button word "free."
I think that DRM is the current solution to the problem. It is not however the final solution to the problem. The nature of illegally downloading and sharing music and movies will continuously change with the type of protection against it. The only way to fully avoid the illegal distribution of digital media is to get rid of it. This is not beneficial to anyone. Organizations are trying to enforce the laws more effectively and will the introduction of new protections things will change until another loophole is discovered.
With the discovery and additions of new technology security of these new features is put to the test. A foolproof system does not exist yet. I believe that one day it will. Abelson suggests a few possibilities, however none are perfect. There could be a paid subscription that allows people to download what they want while paying an overarching theme. There could be specific networks and if you pay for the network you could have access to the media within. The main point is to stop illegal downloads and still allow the legal distribution of digital media. Someday a solution will be found but I believe that untill that day the current system is the best it can be.