Digital Rights Management

(generally abbreviated to DRM) is an umbrella term that refers to any of several technologies used by publishers or copyright owners to control access to and usage of digital data or hardware, and to restrictions associated with a specific instance of a digital work or device. The term is often confused with copy protection and technical protection measures; these two terms refer to technologies that control or restrict the use and access of digital content on electronic devices with such technologies installed, acting as components of a DRM design.

This is a major concern for compa- nies and individuals dependent upon traditional copyright legislation to protect their intelle- ctual rights. ‘Pirate downloading’ is still seen as a major problem by many media comapnies.