The problem of DRM (Digital Rights Management) is slowly becoming a very serious one, as more and more consumers’ groups and organizations protest against the use of such means of protection for digital media.
And the latest scandal of this type comes from UK, where a UK consumer watchdog has called for new laws to protect users’ rights to use digital music and movies, according to BBC.
The National Consumer Council (NCC) said anti-piracy efforts were eroding established rights to digital media, and that the industry self-regulation would probably not adequately protect consumers’ rights.
The NCC made its comments to a parliamentary inquiry into technologies that limit what people can do with CDs, DVDs and downloaded media.
In its submission to the inquiry, the NCC said many consumers were regularly running up against the restrictions record companies and film makers put on their products.
“Because of the current situation, consumers face security risks to their equipment, limitations on their use of products, poor information when purchasing products and unfair contract terms,” declared Jill Johnstone, Director of Policy at NCC.
In its statement to the inquiry it said the digital locks put on content were “constraining the legitimate consumer use of digital content”.
Also being undermined were rights established by consumer protection and data protection laws, it said.
She added that the group had little faith that self-regulation by media makers would protect consumer rights.
It’s only normal that this kind of reactions should appear, considering the infamous “Sony-XCP” scandal that plagued the concept of DRM forever. Sony started off with a good intention, but has ended up discrediting the idea of software copy protection for any kind of media, thus hurting the interests of the entire music and movie industry, and not only its own.