MPs in UK want DRM limitations to be made clear to consumers
Posted on 06/06/06 00:53 by Seán Byrne                             
MPs in UK want DRM limitations to be made clear to consumers

When it comes to most online music download stores, DRM is here to stay, whether consumers like it or not.  In the UK, the All Party Parliamentary Internet Group has been looking into restrictive copy protection systems and has made a report of several recommendations, including a request to the Office of Fair Trade to quickly introduce regulations on labelling online and offline music and movies to make consumers clearly aware of what they can and cannot do with this content. 

These labels should make it clear how easy it is to move content from device to device as well as to let them know what would happen if they do something not allowed by the DRM restrictions.  Another problem that consumers face is what happens if a company offering music goes out of business or if the DRM system becomes obsolete and replaced by a new system.  This labelling will need to cover these potential scenarios.

The report also wants to make the developers of DRM systems aware of the consequences of using aggressive copy protection systems, particularly with manufacturers such as Sony BMG going as far as using controversial DRM measures which initially caused harm to PCs and were very difficult to remove.  Finally, the MPs has asked the Department of Trade and Industry to have a look into online store pricing, where stores such as iTunes charge significantly higher prices for the same content in the UK than in other countries.  Thanks to heystoopid for letting us know about the following news: 

Consumers should be told exactly what they can and cannot do with songs and films they buy online, says an influential group of MPs in the UK.

The All Party Parliamentary Internet Group looked at how copy protection systems restrict the way digital movies and music can be enjoyed.

Labels on digital content should spell out how easy it is to move from gadget to gadget, said the report.

It also called for an inquiry into the pricing schemes of online music stores.

The full BBC article can be read here.

If online music stores need to make it clear which portable devices work with their store, this may put device manufacturers at a drawback, particularly when it comes to proprietary DRM systems.  For example, Apple's iTunes only works with an iPod and if they are required to make it clear that only iPods work with their store, while this would be at an advantage for consumers since they will know to look out for an iPod when they go shopping, other manufacturers will suffer as they have no means of offering players that would work with iTunes in order to attract potential buyers.

heystoopid added:  An interesting report, but then again given the power of the modern home computer, why indeed should one be forced to continually repurchase the same song to enable it to be used on the wide variety portable multimedia devices made available to the average consumer!  Still, imagine the rate of consumer acceptance of either the CD or DVD, had the content providers (MPAA & RIAA) provided an exchange facility with a say 75% discount on sticker price, rather than charge the usual premium price to pay for each succeeding step new technology as it is introduced to the public, and the industry forced to accept the pollution problems of the previous retail product!  Had they done so, one could have been more sympathetic, to the industry's alleged piracy claims, and in one step totally removed most, if not all incentives to pirate the replacement media formats!  Oh well, this is an industry that we pay to amuse and entertain us, yet in reply they seek to turn us into slaves, subject to their every whim!  Question, just how many times can they force the consumer to pay full retail price, for the same piece of media for use in any new technology wonder device, whilst accepting no responsibility for past pollution problems concerning the manufacture and safe disposal of the past product?

Source: BBC News - Technology

Reactions
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By thyfleshconsumed, Tue 6 Jun 2006 05:33
What can I say, good move. Maybe that will shed some light into dark drm-lemmings' heads...
By LastStand, Tue 6 Jun 2006 20:08
LastStandShould this not have been done, from the start? How about being up front for once.
By Frogfart, Tue 6 Jun 2006 23:42
Nothing will change as its the same old corrupt politicians. Money rules.loveit
By themushroom, Wed 7 Jun 2006 00:21
Quick note on such matters... Verizon Wireless offers VCAST Music, which is DRM'd WMAs. If you read the pamphlet which is supposed to come with the service, you see that you can make 5 audio CDs, transfer the songs to a phone or DAP up to 3 times, play the songs an unlimited number of times, but the DRM won't allow copying the song off whatever you've put it on to another location. It's all in the pamphlet (column 2, paragraph 2, last page) but it's easily missed. What's stated more boldly but people still miss: you can download the music directly to your phone or you can download it to the computer and do what you will with it as noted above: To computer: 99 cents. To phone: $1.99 -- because a copy is made available for download to the computer, which presumes you have one, and as noted you can't transfer what's on the phone anywhere else. You can tell how they make their money. cool You will also note that while this seems to draw payments for two copies if you download it to the phone, it only draws one payment if you have it playing on the computer and the phone and your DAP and on five CDs... which goes against what was described in a different article here, about wanting payment for every copy. Odd.
By JJJB, Wed 7 Jun 2006 22:38
What's DRM ??? supergrin It's never been on ANY file I'VE ever seen or listen to and never will be. !!
By LastStand, Thu 8 Jun 2006 13:25
LastStandAt the bottom of the acticle it says it all... She said that DRM was less about protecting copyright and more about creating a system in which people rent rather than own the media they spend money on. "We think people rightly feel that once they buy something, it stays bought," she said.

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