Digital Rights Management (DRM) in Online Music Stores: DRM-Encumbered Music Downloads' Inevitable Demise as a Result of the Negative Effects of Heavy-Handed Copyright Law
Ali Matin · bepress Legal Repository · 2008
Music consumption will never be the same again.Album sales are plummeting as more people switch to purchasing music online.'A digitally downloaded album or song is a significantly different product from a compact disc (CD) bought at a record store.The downloaded song often comes equipped with Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology, which is a form of encryption that limits the song's playback ability. 2 Music publishers claim DRM technology is necessary to combat the increase in piracy from both peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing programs and advances in technology, such as increased broadband Internet access.3 Until recently, the majority of songs purchased from any legal Internet music provider contained DRM protection.4 In 2008, Amazon MP3 became the first online music store to offer music downloads from all four major music labels, as well as several independent labels, unencumbered by DRM technology.5 1.