The Bit Value

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.


After reading chapter 6 of Abelson's Blown to Bits, bits hold a lot more value than I thought. The cost of illegally downloading a song could range from 200 dollars to even 150,000 dollars. Having these fines be so much, definitely discourages people to act in illegal downloading. However, some people think in the sense that they are "invincible" and that nothing will happen to them and they won't get caught. Therefore, DRM-protected technology was brought into play. DRM stands for Digital Rights Management. According to Wikipedia, the term describes the "access control technologies that can be used by hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals to limit the usage of digital content and devices. The term is used to describe any technology that inhibits uses of digital content not desired or intended by the content provider." DRM-protected technology basically limits the illegal sharing of the technology. But somehow people always get their way around the limitations. I believe that DRM is the way to go, if there was a better way, I feel like these days, we would have it or be working on it. In the future I do believe that there will be a better way to monitor illegal downloading and to hold people accountable, but for right now I do believe DRM is the way to go. DRM does have limitations, but doesn't everything? Not all things in life are free. DRM has helped prevent illegally downloading, which was a main concern for the RIAA. Content creators are still compensated as well, which is another goal to rid of illegal downloading. Therefore, DRM is definitely the way to go. And until there is a way around DRM, it will be around for a long time.

Reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management