Talk:Digital rights management

Don't most modern OSes come with DRM?

I haven't done the proper research on this, but don't most OSes come with DRM baked in? That's how Apple's iOS system prevents you from installing 3rd party apps even if you have the files for what you want to download. I feel like I heard that the other OSes also use that too. We would need to have a source, but I feel like this should be a major element of the article if so. It can then be tied in to the app store restrictions and other limitations that are put in place by software products. A large reason these companies can get away with murder when it comes to enshittification is because they own a monopoly on interoperable software, since all their services are locked down with DRM. I feel the article should be written to reflect that. Riverpunk (talk) 05:58, 17 August 2025 (UTC)

Engineering-wise an effective DRM has to span not just the software, but hardware as well. Because if you can install DRM-compatible software on hardware with sufficiently open interfaces that circumvent the restrictions, that defeats the purpose of the DRM..

I don't believe this is the case on more open platforms such as PC and Android. More specifically, I've heard stories of mixed effectiveness of Google's Widevine DRM on Android, but I'd need further research to say anything more definitive.

I like the monopoly angle though. I've thought before about describing the manufacturers of DRM-infested devices as cartels in function: a DRM that is sufficiently widespread in content distribution necessitates that new device manufacturers in the same space need to enter into a partnership with the vendor of the respective DRM. And this does not smell like market competition. D-side (talk) 17:40, 8 March 2026 (UTC)

Louis Rossmann and different names for DRM

A little while ago (~7 days ago as of adding this) Louis Rossmann added a post in the ‘Posts’ section on his Youtube channel where he talked about different names for DRM. The ones he selected were:

1. Digital locks
2. Technology protection measures (TPMs)
3. Digital rights management (what we currently have)
4. Software locks
5. Access controls
6. Digital barriers.

There were also some I read in the comments, like ‘Ownership Restrictions’. I wonder if we could incorporate this into the article? AnotherConsumerRightsPerson (talk) 11:17, 18 October 2025 (UTC)

I think if one can find good citations for these alternative names for DRM, that'll also provide an angle for how they might be incorporated into the article. E. g. access controls and technological [protection] measures are mentioned in DMCA Section 1201 — suggesting a good place for those would be in a section about the legal framework around it. D-side (talk) 17:23, 8 March 2026 (UTC)

XKCD #129

The "Content Protection" xkcd #129 just begs for a reference to concisely showcase the absurdity of the extent to which DRMs permeate the consumer media playback landscape, but I'm honestly not sure how to do this properly D-side (talk) 02:54, 9 March 2026 (UTC)