Definition: digital rights management (DRM)
Digital Rights Management (DRM) is the use of technology to control and manage access to copyrighted material. It helps individuals and companies protect access to and use of their digital assets, which is necessary with today's technological developments.
DRM aims to protect the rights of the copyright owner and prevent unauthorized distribution and modification of content. It can save companies valuable time and money in protecting assets and also save lengthy legal proceedings when material is used without permission.
How does Digital Rights Management work?
Although digital content is covered by copyright laws, it is challenging to monitor the Internet for illegal activity. Thus, DRM takes a proactive approach to protecting digital assets by creating barriers to their misuse in the first place.
Through DRM software, a digital barrier is formed between the asset and the person trying to access it. The use of this asset can be restricted in several ways. For example, users can be prevented from editing, sharing or taking screenshots of the asset. But also locking documents to certain IP addresses or locations and watermarking files are features DRM.
Many DRM tools work through encryption or computer code embedded in the digital content to restrict access or use. These tools can control the number of times, devices, people or time periods that the content can be accessed or installed. Such controls are:
Avoid editing and saving
Prevent forwarding and sharing
Prevent printing (or limit the number of prints available)
Watermarking of documents with unique user information to establish identity
Preventing Screenshots
Revocation of documents
Lock documents to devices, IP addresses and country locations
Establish the use of the assets. This includes recording by whom and when the file was viewed, saved or modified.
Some popular types of DRM strategies include: virtual private networks (VPN), software licenses and keys, proxy servers, user authentication, and IP authentication protocols.
Why is DRM important to DAM?
Digital Asset Management allows you to easily store, organize, search, manage, share and analyze all your digital media and files from one central location in the cloud. This allows you to collaborate easily and effectively with colleagues, partners and suppliers. It is important that your digital media and files are protected and that those involved have access to relevant digital media. This is done using DRM.
Within a DAM system, access controls and user rights are used. You can link information about digital rights directly to specific assets or groups of assets and thus give explicit usage information to the right people, at the right time. In this way you determine who has access to which content and media. This protects your valuable brand files and increases your brand consistency. Keeping track of the rules across a library of thousands of assets is an impossible task, while automating DRM with DAM is very simple: set it up once and you don't have to look at it again. Ideal for companies working with a large number of assets.
More information
Would you like to know more about how Digital Rights Management is applied within our DAM system? We would be happy to tell you more about the different features it can offer. Check out our page on Digital Asset Management or contact us.
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