Explore how DRM technology empowers creators with seven robust methods for safeguarding digital copyrights.
In the digital realm, DRM (Digital Rights Management) is a formidable guardian of digital content copyrights. Here, we delve into seven essential methods through which DRM technology fortifies the protection of intellectual property in the digital domain.
7 Ways DRM Safeguards Digital Content Copyright
Why do we need DRM?
1. Encryption and Access Control:
DRM employs robust encryption techniques to safeguard digital content. Access is granted solely to those possessing the appropriate decryption keys, effectively shielding copyrighted material from unauthorized access or distribution.
2. Prevention of Unauthorized Copying:
DRM incorporates anti-copying mechanisms, making it exceedingly challenging for unauthorized users to duplicate or reproduce digital content. This measure helps content creators maintain control over their intellectual assets.
3. Time and Device Restrictions:
DRM allows content providers to set limitations on the time duration or the number of devices on which their content can be accessed. This ensures that content is used within the bounds of licensing agreements and deters widespread sharing.
4. Counteraction of Screen Capture:
DRM technology includes measures to thwart screen capture and recording, reducing the risk of content theft through these means.
5. Expiry Dates and Usage Limits:
DRM permits the establishment of expiration dates for digital content or the imposition of usage limits. For instance, access to content may expire after a specific date or after a predefined number of views or interactions.
6. Geo-Blocking:
To adhere to regional licensing agreements and safeguard content distribution rights, DRM can enforce geo-blocking. This restricts access based on users’ geographic locations, IP addresses, or specific devices.
7. Watermarking for Ownership Assertion:
DRM facilitates the embedding of watermarks, such as text, images, logos, or slogans, within digital content. These watermarks serve as clear indicators of ownership and enhance brand recognition.
In summary, DRM Safeguards technology stands as a stalwart defender of digital content copyright through encryption, access control, and a range of protective measures. Content creators and copyright holders use these measures to preserve their intellectual property rights. They also maintain control over its dissemination in the digital landscape.
DRM Prevents Unauthorized Access to digital content by employing encryption and access controls, ensuring content security.
DRM serves as the frontline defense in an era where digital content consumption has become ubiquitous, playing a crucial role in safeguarding digital assets from unauthorized entry and distribution. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the intricate mechanics of DRM and its multifaceted strategies for thwarting unauthorized access to digital content.
What is DRM?
Digital Rights Management, commonly known as DRM, represents a multifaceted approach to securing digital content. It comprises a set of technologies and strategies aimed at controlling and managing how digital content is accessed, used, and distributed. DRM solutions encompass a wide array of tools, from encryption methods and access controls to licensing mechanisms, all serving the overarching goal of safeguarding digital assets.
How Does DRM Prevent Unauthorized Access?
At its core, DRM relies on encryption to protect digital content. Encryption transforms the content into an unreadable format, rendering it useless without the corresponding decryption key. To access and utilize the content, authorized users must possess the correct decryption key, which is typically provided through legitimate channels, such as purchasing, renting, or subscribing to the content.
Preventing Unauthorized Access
How Does DRM Prevent Unauthorized Access?
Encryption: The Fortified Barrier
Encryption serves as the bedrock of DRM’s security infrastructure. By converting digital content into an encrypted format, it becomes impervious to unauthorized access. Even if an unauthorized user gains access to the encrypted file, they remain unable to view, listen to, or employ the content in any meaningful way without the requisite decryption key. This robust encryption-based defense ensures the content’s integrity and confidentiality.
License Management: Controlling Access
DRM systems often hinge on licensing to govern content access. Users must acquire a valid license to access and interact with the content. These licenses dictate the terms and conditions of use, encompassing details such as the duration of access, the number of devices it can be accessed on, and more. Through license management, DRM can enforce these rules and restrictions effectively.
Access Controls: Restricting Unauthorized Sharing
DRM technology incorporates access controls that restrict the number of devices or users who can access the content concurrently. This limitation acts as a powerful deterrent against mass distribution of content to unauthorized audiences. Furthermore, DRM can impose restrictions on actions like copying, sharing, or exporting content, further minimizing unauthorized access.
Why DRM is Essential for Digital Content?
For content creators and copyright holders, DRM is an indispensable tool for safeguarding their intellectual property. Without the protective shield of DRM, digital content becomes vulnerable to piracy and unauthorized distribution, posing substantial revenue losses and jeopardizing the content’s integrity.
Enabling New Revenue Models
DRM empowers content providers to explore diverse revenue models, including pay-per-view, rentals, and subscription-based services. These models hinge on secure access controls facilitated by DRM, guaranteeing that users pay for the content they consume and enabling sustainable revenue streams.
Ensuring Content Availability
The assurance of content protection offered by DRM encourages content creators to make their work available in digital formats. This, in turn, broadens the range of digital content accessible to consumers, fostering a rich and diverse digital ecosystem.
In conclusion, Digital Rights Management (DRM) is a pivotal force in the relentless battle against unauthorized access to digital content. Through encryption, license management, and access controls, DRM provides content creators and providers with a multifaceted arsenal to protect their intellectual property and cultivate sustainable revenue models.
Despite the challenges and criticisms it faces, DRM continues to evolve in response to the ever-changing digital landscape. It remains an essential and irreplaceable tool for safeguarding digital assets and ensuring that content creators can reap the benefits of their creations while offering consumers a secure and diverse array of digital content.
Approximately 1,000 copyright-infringing football websites have been blocked within a year, but the issue persists, according to the Radio, Television, and Electronic Information Department.
During a copyright protection seminar for the music, film, and digital television industry on September 26th in Hanoi, Mr. Pham Hoang Hai, Director of the Center for Digital Content Copyright, Radio, Television, and Electronic Information Department under the Ministry of Information and Communications, stated that copyright violations are becoming increasingly complex, encompassing football, films, and more recently, Japanese anime content.
In the field of football alone, there are approximately 70 pirate websites, with 5 leading groups like “xoilac” and “cakhia,” each with various website addresses. During the 2022-2023 season, these groups’ websites reached 7.7 million users and 1.5 billion views according to Similarweb statistics. Pirate films have over 200 websites, attracting 120 million monthly views.
According to Mr. Hai, these websites commonly use international domains and hide their information. In addition to streaming content, they display harmful advertisements and engage in gambling. When blocked, these websites frequently change domain names. Between August 2022 and August 2023, Vietnamese authorities blocked nearly 1,000 pirate football websites.
A pirate streaming site broadcasting matches from the 2022 World Cup, accompanied by advertisements for gambling games. Photo: Luu Quy
One pirate streaming site showed World Cup 2022 matches along with gambling advertisements. At the seminar, Ms. Pham Thanh Thuy, in charge of copyright enforcement for K+ television, cited data from Media Partners Asia indicating that Vietnam is among the top three countries in the region with the highest number of copyright violations, with 15.5 million regular users accessing pirate websites. When adjusted for population, Vietnam leads Southeast Asia in this regard. Ms. Thuy noted that copyright violations used to occur on TV boxes with pre-installed pirate viewing applications, but now the majority occur on digital platforms like websites and social media.
Mr. Nguyễn Ngọc Hân shares about the Sigma Active Observer (SAO) solution, which integrates AI in digital copyright protection.
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Han, CEO of Thudomultimedia, pointed out that as social media and OTT platforms develop, protecting copyrights becomes more challenging, as approximately 80% of violations take place on digital platforms. Pirate groups may be based in Vietnam but use VPN software to disguise their location and provide content to Vietnamese users, affecting the revenue and reputation of locally licensed services. It is estimated that copyright infringement cost Vietnam around $350 million in damages in 2022.
To combat these issues, the Center for Digital Content Copyright is working with Vietnamese internet service providers (ISPs) to block access to pirated websites. This approach has resulted in a 98% reduction in visits to pirate football websites during the past season. Additionally, it has influenced user behavior. According to a CAP survey, 23% of users indicated they would not access similar content if it was blocked, and 60% sought legitimate free alternatives.
However, Mr. Hai noted that there is still inconsistency among ISPs regarding the enforcement of blocking measures. Some ISPs block immediately, while others take up to three days, which can undermine the effectiveness of the effort.
Ms. Thuy mentioned that various technical and legal measures have been applied but continue to face challenges. For instance, when filing complaints about violations with the administrative authorities, they require evidence and proof of damages. Many cases, such as the Phimmoi website, take years to resolve.
One proposed solution by Ms. Thuy is “Knock and Talk,” a successful approach in other countries. In this method, a professional investigative team identifies all contacts to obtain information about the website owner and subsequently approaches them to request a commitment to stop copyright infringement. According to Ms. Thuy, this approach could yield long-term effectiveness and take a few months to process.
In early September, the Ministry of Information and Communications announced plans to collaborate with the Ministry of Public Security to address the issue of pirated content websites and stated that they would not limit themselves to administrative penalties. Furthermore, they suggested that the issue could also be resolved through user behavior, as support for pirate websites ultimately harms content copyright businesses, making it difficult for them to obtain licenses and develop content. In such cases, consumers would ultimately bear the brunt of the consequences.
Apple with its DRM solution FairPlay Streaming helps distribute streaming media securely via the HLS protocol (HTTP Live Streaming)
FairPlay Certificate Registration Tutorial
In this article, we introduce to you how Apple processes to create DRM certificates in Fairplay Streaming (FPS). Let’s find out more!
About Overview
FairPlay Streaming stands as Apple’s proprietary DRM solution designed to enhance the secure delivery of streaming media to devices utilizing the HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) protocol. Leveraging FairPlay Streaming (FPS) technology, content providers, encoding vendors, and delivery networks gain the capability to encrypt content, facilitate secure key exchange, and safeguard playback across iOS, iPadOS, watchOS 7, tvOS, and macOS platforms
In order to utilize Apple’s FairPlay Streaming (FPS) DRM, individuals must obtain the FPS Deployment Package directly from Apple and furnish their Brightcove representative with the following details:
The FPS Certificate file .der or .cer
Private key file .pem
Private key password string
Application secret key (ASK) string
Step 1: Register for an Apple Developer Account and Request the Deployment Package
To obtain the FPS Deployment Package, it is necessary to have an Apple developer account. If you do not possess one, you can proceed to sign up for an account.
Navigate to the FairPlay Streaming website, locate the ‘Request Deployment Package’ link at the bottom, and log in using your Apple developer account credentials.
After submitting your request for the Deployment Package through the provided input form, Apple will confirm and issue a package that includes the FPS Credential Creation Guide document.
During the application process, you will be asked if you have completed the implementation and testing of the Key Server Module (KSM). Please answer: ‘I am using a 3rd party DRM service and the company has already built and tested the Key Server Module’.
Step 2: Generate the Private Key and Certificate Signing Request (CSR)
The subsequent step involves generating a private key file named private key.pem and a certificate signing request file named certreq.csr, following the instructions outlined in the provided guidelines document.
OpenSSL must be installed on the PC or server environment where this process is performed.
The steps below outline the process using OpenSSL to create the CSR file:
Open the OpenSSL command-line tool.
Generate the Private Key File: privatekey.pem by typing and running the following command. openssl genrsa -aes256 -out privatekey.pem 1024
Enter a password for the private key and save it for later use. The password should be shorter than 32 characters, and special characters are not allowed.
Generate the Certificate Signing Request file by typing and running the following command. The contents of the -subj parameter can be modified to suit your organization’s information. openssl req -new -sha1 -key privatekey.pem -out certreq.csr -subj “/CN=SubjectName/OU=OrganizationalUnit/O=Organization/C=US”
Enter the Private Key password.
Step 3: Generate FPS Certificate on the Apple Developer Portal
Log in to the Apple Developer Portal and click Certificate, IDs & Profiles on the left menu
Log in to the Apple Developer Portal
In the Certificates subtitle click the button
Certificates subtitle click the button
On the Create a New Certificate section, select the FairPlay Streaming Certificate option
Create a New Certificate
Click Continue
Click Choose File
Choose File
Select the certreq.csr file created with OpenSSL.
Click Continue.
Copy the Application Secret Key provided by Apple, and store it safely. If the ASK is compromised, you will no longer be able to protect your content with FPS
Application Secret Key
Paste the ASK in the space provided.
Click Continue
Click the Generate button when the pop-up appears to confirm that you have saved your Application Security Key
Click Certificates in the left menu to see your FairPlay Streaming Certificate in the list.
Click on your Certificate
Click the Download button to save the FPS certificate file: fairplay.cer
After download the FPS certificate file, please contact your Sigma MultiDRM account manager to finish the process.
Of the powerful 20 companies that have digital rights management (DRM) solutions, including IBM, Google, Apple, and Adobe, Thu Do Multimedia is the one Vietnamese name.
Thu Do Media was officially established in 2010, when its CEO and founder Nguyen Ngoc Han was 30 years old.
Han and his co-workers began to research and develop online apps and games for mobile phones.
At that moment, in Vietnam, most technology firms just imported games from other countries to distribute in the home market, and there were very few companies developing games.
Following an uncommon path, Thu Do then focused on ensuring security. Its games could protect and restore data in case of internet interruption when people are playing games.
The market was very favorable in 2010-2012, bringing great success to Thu Do media. Billiard Online, one of its products, for example, got 40 million downloads all over the globe.
In 2013, when smartphones became popular, global distributors could distribute games globally and directly to the user.
With its advantage in content and data protection tools, Thu Do focused on making data protection products that meet international standards to sell to the global market.
At that time, when there were both opportunities and ‘storms’ which could sweep away immature businesses, Thu Do focused on providing solutions to the media sector.
Digital content protection solution
Recalling the first operation period, Han said it was full of hardships. The first problem was that it didn’t have an ‘alliance’. He then persuaded mobile network operators to cooperate and share profits. The other problem was the workforce. Thu Do leaders had to visit technology universities to seek interns and pay them wages which were higher than the scholarships they expected from the schools.
Vietnamese pride
Thu Do is the first company in Southeast Asia with a DRM solution – Sigma DRM – successfully tested. Sigma DRM has added Vietnam to the list of countries which have global DRM solutions.
“There are only 12 companies in the world that can invent DRM solutions in the media sector. And Thu Do Media is on the same list as the ‘big guys’ such as IBM, Adobe, Apple, Google, and Microsoft,” Han said.
Thu Do had to undergo a tough road to gain the achievement. After successfully inventing a solution, Thu Do has to have the solution tested and recognized by international inspection prestigious institutions. The company then sent an email to one of the institutions, but there was no reply.
Later, with support from a Vietnamese famous in the global TV and media sector, the company got the nod from the inspection institution. After a very strict inspection, Sigma DRM was successfully inspected and recognized as meeting global standards.
According to Han, Thu Do Media is the only company in the world that provides comprehensive OTT media solutions together with DRM. This is because the other ‘big guys’ on the list of 20 companies with DRM only specialize in developing products in certain fields.
Thu Do’s comprehensive solution can satisfy basic requirements.
“We design a menu with many different dishes for diners. They can choose one or many dishes in the menu, i.e. one or many services of the comprehensive solution, instead of having to choose different services from different solution providers to create a system of their own,” he said.
Recently, a problem occurred related to Google’s Widevine DRM solution: hackers publicized all the source codes on the internet, resulting in a lack of copyright protection for content on 4 billion devices of the Android ecosystem and 2.6 billion devices using Chrome.
The incident once again showed the strength of Sigma DRM: it could resist attacks thanks to the superior security capability of a third protection shield. According to Cartesian, Thu Do’s Sigma Active Observer-SAO is the first DRM solution that has a third protection shield.
In early 2023, Thu Do took the first steps to reach out to the global market. It plans to enter the US market first, and then Southeast Asia.
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