Dealing with Intellectual Property in the Digital Age
Susanna Leisten · 2004
Existing copyright regimes were established in the analogue world to promote a healthy supply of Intellectual Property (IP) for the benefit of all people. Driven by fundamental differences in the digital age creating enormous challenges for copyright regimes, Digital Rights Management (DRM) has recently become an important but controversial field. Litigation against copyright infringers combined with enhanced use of technological mechanisms controlling access to and usage of copyrighted content, are being increasingly developed and applied to protect and expand existing IP regimes. This paper begins with a discussion of some significant problems with deployment of mechanisms for managing and controlling usage of copyrighted material in the digital age, and outlines a number of alternative initiatives and options. Restrictive enforcement measures are highly relevant for certain applications and industries, but it is debatable that applying them overwhelmingly is in the best interest of consumers. Some consequences of copyright and licence enforcement mechanisms are discussed. Alternative options incorporate varying levels of copyright law adaptation and novel approaches and uses of DRM technologies to fulfill the original goals that led to construction of IP laws. Benefits and challenges for alternative systems such as voluntary collecting societies are outlined and contrasted with mainstream models.