As the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee hunkers down to think about DRM, they might like to take note of a column just published in the Wall Street Journal, on DRM:

‘In my view, both sides have a point, but the real issue isn’t DRM itself — it’s the manner in which DRM is used by copyright holders. Companies have a right to protect their property, and DRM is one means to do so. But treating all consumers as potential criminals by using DRM to overly limit their activities is just plain wrong….
…consumers … should be able to copy it to as many personal digital devices as they own, convert it to any format those devices require, and play it in whatever locations, at whatever times, they choose.’

Of course this is what some copyright owners are doing. Not all, but some. Think the way that Apple allows copying to multiple computers/iPods. Then think region coding for the opposite.

Ed Felten has a discussion.

8:57 am - posted by . Categories: Copyright , DRM , IP , USA
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