Digital rights management: Difference between revisions
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==Why it is a problem== | ==Why it is a problem== | ||
A DRM technology is, by design | === Artificial restrictions === | ||
A DRM technology is ''by design'' something that allows it to act against the intention of its owner, and thus constitutes a case of [[Right to own|eroded ownership]] over the device. It is also by design a "false" or artificial restriction of the capabilities of a device, either in general or only for certain protected types of content. | |||
From the rights holder perspective, whose rights DRM protects, it needs to be effective when the device or a copy of a creative work is in user's physical possession. However, physical possession naturally increases the chance of consumers analyzing and reverse engineering the restrictions and coming up with circumvention methods. Therefore to be effective, a DRM technology needs to withstand the circumvention techniques available to consumers. This presents a significant engineering challenge, seemingly with no perfect solution, because solutions to date have failed and/or have gone too far, causing collateral restrictions on the device. | |||
=== Collateral problems === | |||
There are countless examples of DRM technology causing user-facing problems beyond the basic DRM restriction. This behavior of negligent usage of the DRM, but it could also be argued that DRM ''naturally'' causes problems like these to occur. | |||
DRM in video | ==== Monitor discrimination ==== | ||
Playing Netflix's video content requires using a specific DRM called ''HDCP'' (<small>High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection)</small> for playback in advertised quality''.'' This technology only works if ''all'' connected displays support it, not just the one that displays the video.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-02-24 |title=Netflix requires all monitors to be HDCP 2.2. How can I get around this? |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/1avkwtb/netflix_requires_all_monitors_to_be_hdcp_22_how/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250126224945/https://old.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/1avkwtb/netflix_requires_all_monitors_to_be_hdcp_22_how/ |archive-date=2025-01-26 |access-date=20 Apr 2025 |website=Old Reddit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-03-22 |title=How do I get Netflix working at 4k on my second monitor? |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/netflix/comments/mam2l9/how_do_i_get_netflix_working_at_4k_on_my_second/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250403054443/https://old.reddit.com/r/netflix/comments/mam2l9/how_do_i_get_netflix_working_at_4k_on_my_second/ |archive-date=2025-04-03 |access-date=20 Apr 2025 |website=Old Reddit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=How to use Netflix on your Windows computer or tablet |url=https://help.netflix.com/en/node/23931 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260104160941/https://help.netflix.com/en/node/23931 |archive-date=2026-01-04 |access-date=20 Apr 2025 |website=Netflix Help Center}}</ref> This means that older but fully functional monitors cannot be used as secondary screens without causing HDCP to fail on that PC and thus causing Netflix to serve a version of the content much lower in quality than it advertises. | |||
DRM | DRM technology requirements are a burden that is put onto the consumer to adhere to, are often not clearly disclosed. When they are, they can often be found buried in the Terms of Service or, in Netflix's case, require navigating through multiple ''FAQ'' <small>(Frequently Asked Questions)</small> pages. | ||
=== | ==== Intrusive by design ==== | ||
Some content may autonomously install DRM software without the knowledge or consent of the user, such as in the Sony Rootkit scandal.<ref>{{Cite web |date=31 Oct 2005 |title=Sony, Rootkits and Digital Rights Management Gone Too Far |url=https://blogs.technet.com/b/markrussinovich/archive/2005/10/31/sony-rootkits-and-digital-rights-management-gone-too-far.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150317040653/http://blogs.technet.com/b/markrussinovich/archive/2005/10/31/sony-rootkits-and-digital-rights-management-gone-too-far.aspx |archive-date=17 Mar 2015 |access-date=20 Apr 2025 |website=Mark Russinovich's Blog}}</ref> Software like that gains a dangerous level of control over the device, and may contain exploits that can compromise the security of the user's PC.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Krebs |first=Brian |date=10 Nov 2005 |title=Virus Writers Exploit Sony Anti-Piracy Software |url=https://blog.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2005/11/virus_writers_exploit_sony_ant.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061116191907/http://blog.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2005/11/virus_writers_exploit_sony_ant.html |archive-date=16 Nov 2006 |access-date=20 Apr 2025 |website=Washington Post}}</ref> | |||
In video games DRM has frequently been implemented in an intrusive manner. For example, there are cases where it hurts load times and performance.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kessler |first=Ana |date=25 May 2023 |title=Testing Reveals Games with Denuvo Launch Up to Four Times Slower |url=https://80.lv/articles/testing-reveals-games-with-denuvo-launch-up-to-four-times-slower/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250911084255/https://80.lv/articles/testing-reveals-games-with-denuvo-launch-up-to-four-times-slower |archive-date=2025-09-11 |access-date=20 Apr 2025 |website=80.lv}}</ref> Though rather than deliberate malicious intent, this behavior has been more a result of negligent usage of the DRM. The detrimental effect of DRM on games appears to be clear to their developers and publishers, seeing that DRM is removed from some games some time after the release,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wesh |first=Oli |date=2009-07-09 |title=DRM removed, UGC in Witcher patch |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/drm-removed-ugc-added-in-witcher-patch |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241211070935/https://www.eurogamer.net/drm-removed-ugc-added-in-witcher-patch |archive-date=2024-12-11 |website=Eurogamer}}</ref> often with no announcement.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Grayson |first=Nathan |date=2016-12-08 |title=Doom Becomes Latest Game To Drop Anti-Piracy Tech Denuvo |url=https://kotaku.com/doom-becomes-latest-game-to-drop-anti-piracy-tech-denuv-1789838010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250821033141/https://kotaku.com/doom-becomes-latest-game-to-drop-anti-piracy-tech-denuv-1789838010 |archive-date=2025-08-21 |website=Kotaku}}</ref> | |||
==== False user expectations ==== | |||
DRM failures can also be ''confusing'' or create wrong expectations. For example, with a YouTube Premium subscription, you can "Download videos to watch offline", but such videos are only available for 48 hours without an internet connection.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Watch videos offline on mobile in select countries & regions |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6141269 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260115091128/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6141269 |archive-date=2026-01-15 |access-date=20 Apr 2025 |website=YouTube Help}}</ref> This creates problems of expectation, as users may want to download videos in anticipation of a period without internet access. | |||
==== False obsolescence of purchased products ==== | |||
Some DRM rely on special processes within some specific operating systems that end up becoming deprecated as time goes on. This is the case for [[wikipedia:Games_for_Windows_–_Live|Games For Windows Live]]. Legacy [[SecuROM]]-protected titles (released roughly between 1998 and 2005) are notorious for not running on operating systems newer than Windows XP.<ref>{{Cite web |last=D’Amico |first=Luca |date=5 May 2022 |title=Arabian Nights |url=https://www.lucadamico.dev/papers/drms/securom/ArabianNights.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260112055300/https://www.lucadamico.dev/papers/drms/securom/ArabianNights.pdf |archive-date=2026-01-12 |access-date=2026-02-06 |website=lucadamico.dev}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=@haggar |date=15 Oct 2006 |title=Unpacking SecuROM 4.xx |url=https://www.reversing.be/article.php?story=20061015153108847 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220226230919/http://www.reversing.be/article.php?story=20061015153108847 |archive-date=26 Feb 2022 |access-date=20 Apr 2025 |website=www.reversing.be}}</ref> Customers must spend an extensive amount of time circumventing the DRM, or enter legally grey areas, just to play content they legitimately purchased.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Baggs |first=Nathan |date=16 Jan 2025 |title=Hacking This Terrible DRM |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjkqI7dBDVg |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=vjkqI7dBDVg |archive-date=2025-01-20 |access-date=20 Apr 2025 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> This DRM has the worst effects on physical licenses of products, as unlike a digital installation, if a physical copy of a game's DRM stops being supported by modern hardware, developers cannot simply distribute a patch to directly modify the code on a disc, and online patches cannot last forever.{{Citation needed|date=Jun 2026}} | |||
Some DRM require a constant internet connection. While this may make sense in something that inherently requires an internet connection such as a streaming service or multiplayer-only video game, this has also been employed in games with single-player content, rendering customers unable to use their purchase if they do not have an active internet connection.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kain |first=Erik |date=17 May 2012 |title='Diablo III' Fans Should Stay Angry About Always-Online DRM |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/05/17/diablo-iii-fans-should-stay-angry-about-always-online-drm/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251024065743/https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/05/17/diablo-iii-fans-should-stay-angry-about-always-online-drm/ |archive-date=2025-10-24 |access-date=20 Apr 2025 |website=Forbes}}</ref> Conversely, if operations for these services are shut down, users, even those with legitimate copies of software and internet access, cannot run their games without resorting to hacking them first.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vitor |first=João |date=12 Jul 2024 |title=Rewriting completely the GameSpy support from 2000 to 2004 using Reverse Engineering on EA and Bungie Games |url=https://keowu.re/posts/Rewriting-completely-the-GameSpy-support-from-2000-to-2004-using-Reverse-Engineering-on-EA-and-Bungie-Games/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251216155905/https://keowu.re/posts/Rewriting-completely-the-GameSpy-support-from-2000-to-2004-using-Reverse-Engineering-on-EA-and-Bungie-Games |archive-date=2025-12-16 |access-date=20 Apr 2025 |website=Keowu Blog's}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Burns |first=Chris |date=4 Apr 2014 |title=GameSpy Shuts Down May 31: Will Your Game Be Affected? |url=https://www.slashgear.com/gamespy-shuts-down-may-31-will-your-game-be-affected-04323788/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251024204157/https://www.slashgear.com/gamespy-shuts-down-may-31-will-your-game-be-affected-04323788/ |archive-date=2025-10-24 |access-date=20 Apr 2025 |website=SlashGear}}</ref> [[Ubisoft]] has historically been known for server shutdowns and transfers cutting off access to games for many players.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharkey |first=Mike |date=2012-02-08 |title=Ubisoft DRM Locks Out Paying Customers |url=https://pc.gamespy.com/articles/121/1218211p1.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906130332/http://pc.gamespy.com/articles/121/1218211p1.html |archive-date=2015-09-06 |access-date=20 Apr 2025 |website=IGN Entertainment}}</ref> Encrypted [[ATSC 3.0]] channels cannot be tuned to without a persistent internet connection.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Seidman |first=Lon |date=3 Sep 2023 |title=The ADTH Nextgen TV Box Shows Us Just How Bad ATSC 3.0 Encryption Will Be.. |url=https://blog.lon.tv/2023/09/03/the-adth-nextgen-tv-box-shows-us-just-how-bad-atsc-3-0-encrpytion-will-be/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251214005506/https://blog.lon.tv/2023/09/03/the-adth-nextgen-tv-box-shows-us-just-how-bad-atsc-3-0-encrpytion-will-be/ |archive-date=2025-12-14 |access-date=20 Apr 2025 |website=Lon.tv}}</ref> | |||
=== The best audio & video DRM to date have failed === | |||
It is nearly impossible to prevent copying of non-interactive content such as audio and video once it is distributed to the consumer. | |||
== | * Macrovision DRM can be defeated using a widely available time base corrector,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-09 |title=Bought this box back in the early 90s to eliminate Macrovision copy guard on tapes - cost $49.95 back then. Decided to see if it still works by recording my Red Label Star Wars set to DVD. Still working it’s magic! |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/VHS/comments/so4xs5/bought_this_box_back_in_the_early_90s_to/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250402200726/https://old.reddit.com/r/VHS/comments/so4xs5/bought_this_box_back_in_the_early_90s_to/ |archive-date=2025-04-02 |access-date=20 Apr 2025 |website=Old Reddit}}</ref> which strips out the signal that triggers the AGC on VCRs or Macrovision compliant devices. | ||
* Many HDMI splitters<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-23 |title=Bypassing HDCP in 2024 |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/PS3/comments/19dohrh/bypassing_hdcp_in_2024/lbtqiky/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250121093658/https://old.reddit.com/r/PS3/comments/19dohrh/bypassing_hdcp_in_2024/lbtqiky/ |archive-date=2025-01-21 |access-date=20 Apr 2025 |website=Old Reddit}}</ref> and capture cards<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-23 |title=I bought a $40 capture card off Amazon and it seems to have hdcp bypass because my PS3 works directly with it. |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/PS3/comments/19dohrh/bypassing_hdcp_in_2024/kj7cu60/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250803020254/https://old.reddit.com/r/PS3/comments/19dohrh/bypassing_hdcp_in_2024/kj7cu60/ |archive-date=2025-08-03 |access-date=20 Apr 2025 |website=Old Reddit}}</ref> are capable of decrypting HDCP and copying the video stream. As long as at least one bypass exists at the HDCP level, all streaming content can be trivially ripped. | |||
* Audio DRM is trivial to bypass, as the audio must be decrypted into an analog signal in order to drive physical speakers or headphones. To record stereo analog audio signals requires a little bit of recording equipment, but consumer-grade quality tools will suffice. | |||
==DRM controversies in other products== | |||
===Network-Attached Storage Units=== | ===Network-Attached Storage Units=== | ||
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Certain models of refrigerators manufactured by General Electric contain DRM in order to prevent customers from purchasing generic water filters and to instead force their own water filters which are more expensive. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Bode |first=Karl |date=2020-01-23 |title=These Fridges Won’t Dispense Filtered Water Unless You Pay Extra for ‘Official’ Filters With RFID Chips |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/these-fridges-wont-dispense-filtered-water-unless-you-pay-extra-for-official-filters-with-rfid-chips/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251021063650/https://www.vice.com/en/article/these-fridges-wont-dispense-filtered-water-unless-you-pay-extra-for-official-filters-with-rfid-chips/ |archive-date=2025-10-21 |access-date=2026-02-06 |website=VICE}}</ref> | Certain models of refrigerators manufactured by General Electric contain DRM in order to prevent customers from purchasing generic water filters and to instead force their own water filters which are more expensive. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Bode |first=Karl |date=2020-01-23 |title=These Fridges Won’t Dispense Filtered Water Unless You Pay Extra for ‘Official’ Filters With RFID Chips |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/these-fridges-wont-dispense-filtered-water-unless-you-pay-extra-for-official-filters-with-rfid-chips/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251021063650/https://www.vice.com/en/article/these-fridges-wont-dispense-filtered-water-unless-you-pay-extra-for-official-filters-with-rfid-chips/ |archive-date=2025-10-21 |access-date=2026-02-06 |website=VICE}}</ref> | ||
==The history of DRM== | |||
=== Video content === | |||
Attempting to prevent the copying of video content is one of the most common and long-standing uses of DRM. The idea of using copy obstruction on video content predates the term "DRM", one early example being the "Automatic Gain Control" requirement in VCRs used to enforce the "Macrovision" copy-protection scheme.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1999-11-29 |title=17 U.S. Code § 1201 - Circumvention of copyright protection systems |url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/1201#k_1_A |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260201101756/https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/1201#k_1_A |archive-date=2026-02-01 |access-date=2026-02-06 |website=Cornell Law School}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018 |title=Macrovision Demystified |url=https://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/courses/cs181/projects/1999-00/dmca-2k/macrovision.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251212001352/https://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/courses/cs181/projects/1999-00/dmca-2k/macrovision.html |archive-date=2025-12-12 |access-date=2026-02-06 |website=Stanford Engineering Computer Science}} </ref> Formally known as "Analog Copy Protection", the scheme worked by encoding specific control signals into the output signal that corrupted the video. <ref name="hackaday_article"> | |||
{{Cite web | |||
| last = Maloney | |||
| first = Dan | |||
| date = 2018-05-27 | |||
| title = Rolling Old School With Copy Protection From The 1980s | |||
| url = https://hackaday.com/2018/05/27/rolling-old-school-with-copy-protection-from-the-1980s/ | |||
| access-date = 2026-03-19 | |||
| archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/archive/wa2zi | |||
| archive-date = 2026-03-19 | |||
}} | |||
</ref> These signals were generally ignored by TVs, so when the VHS tape was played back, the video appeared correct, but VCRs handled these bogus signals, causing the recorded tape to contain the corrupted video. <ref name="hackaday_article" /> | |||
From 1996, DVDs began to feature the "Content Scramble System" (CSS), an encryption based DRM. CSS was successfully circumvented as early as 1999, less than five years after its introduction, partly due to the limited length of the 40-bit encryption key, which was used to comply with US government export regulations of the time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stevenson |first=Frank Andrew |date=27 Oct 1999 |title=[Livid-dev] Successfull attack on CSS algorithm |url=https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/DeCSS/FrankStevenson/mail1.txt |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260114031245/https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/DeCSS/FrankStevenson/mail1.txt |archive-date=2026-01-14 |access-date=2026-02-06 |website=Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stevenson |first=Frank A. |date=8 November 1999 |title=Cryptanalysis of Contents Scrambling System |url=http://www.dvd-copy.com/news/cryptanalysis_of_contents_scrambling_system.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000302000206/http://www.dvd-copy.com/news/cryptanalysis_of_contents_scrambling_system.htm |archive-date=2000-03-02 |access-date=2026-02-06 |website=DVD-Copy}}</ref> Following this, DVDs as well as HD-DVDs and Blu-Rays would implement other types of DRM, one of them being the "Advanced Access Content System".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Advanced Access Content System (AACS) |url=https://www.aacsla.com/specifications/specs091/AACS_Spec_Common_0.91.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070302130221/http://www.aacsla.com/specifications/specs091/AACS_Spec_Common_0.91.pdf |archive-date=2 Mar 2007 |access-date=20 Apr 2025}} | |||
</ref> When the first AACS processing key was similarly extracted, the AACS Licensing Administrator began issuing cease-and-desist letters to websites where the key was posted.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 Apr 2007 |title=AACS licensor complains of posted key |url=https://lumendatabase.org/notices/21725 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251207212919/https://lumendatabase.org/notices/21725 |archive-date=2025-12-07 |access-date=20 Apr 2025 |website=Lumen}}</ref> Another form of Blu-Ray DRM, [[Cinavia]], uses a form of audio watermarking that makes certain releases unplayable in devices that are not equipped to recognize it, a notable example being Sony's Playstation 3.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ganesh |first=T. S. |date=21 Mar 2012 |title=Cinavia DRM: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Blu-ray’s Self-Destruction |url=https://www.anandtech.com/show/5693/cinavia-drm-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-blurays-selfdestruction/2 |url-status=live |access-date=20 Apr 2025 |website=AnandTech |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250708174835/https://www.anandtech.com/show/5693/cinavia-drm-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-blurays-selfdestruction/2 |archive-date=8 Jul 2025}}</ref> | |||
In the attempt of preventing video ripping via a capture card, modern displays, optical disc players, and computers use the [[wikipedia:High-bandwidth_Digital_Content_Protection|High-Definition Content Protection]] system to encrypt display signals.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About DCP |url=https://www.digital-cp.com/about_dcp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260104104231/https://www.digital-cp.com/about_dcp |archive-date=2026-01-04 |access-date=20 Apr 2025 |website=Digital CP}}</ref> For example, [[Netflix stream-quality controversy|Netflix will refuse]] to stream content at the full resolution advertised for the plan if the user is not streaming through an HDCP compliant video card and display. | |||
For terrestrial over-the-air broadcast, in 2023 [[ATSC 3.0]] pilot stations across the United States started to encrypt their signals,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Seidman |first=Lon |date=15 May 2023 |title=Broadcasters Roll Out Restrictive DRM Encryption on ATSC 3.0 Broadcasts |url=https://blog.lon.tv/2023/05/15/broadcasters-roll-out-restrictive-drm-encryption-on-atsc-3-0-broadcasts/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260104092252/https://blog.lon.tv/2023/05/15/broadcasters-roll-out-restrictive-drm-encryption-on-atsc-3-0-broadcasts/ |archive-date=2026-01-04 |access-date=20 Apr 2025 |website=Lon.tv}}</ref> leaving those that bought ATSC 3.0 tuners that could not decrypt broadcasts unable to watch the newly encrypted channels. Those tuners that were later certified by the A3SA authority to decrypt signals also had potential restrictions placed as part of the DRM scheme, such as blocking recordings and remote tuner access.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Newman |first=Jared |date=28 Jul 2023 |title=NextGen TV’s DRM puts future of the over-the-air DVR in doubt |url=https://www.techhive.com/article/2009693/nextgen-tv-drm-puts-future-of-the-over-the-air-dvr-in-doubt.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251213194219/https://www.techhive.com/article/2009693/nextgen-tv-drm-puts-future-of-the-over-the-air-dvr-in-doubt.html |archive-date=2025-12-13 |access-date=20 Apr 2025 |website=TechHive}}</ref> | |||
=== Audio content === | |||
Another place DRMs were used in was audio content, which was rarely implemented due to audio's analog nature (compared to video and software), making it questionable whether it could effectively block data replication. The most notable application of audio DRM was [[wikipedia:MediaMax|MediaMax]], which essentially functioned as malware to prevent users from simply playing these audio discs on Windows and macOS. There was also the less-notable [[wikipedia:Extended_Copy_Protection|Extended Copy Protection]] (XCP) DRM, however it did leave [[Sony]] in hot water,<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=1 February 2026 |title=Sony BMG copy protection rootkit scandal |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_BMG_copy_protection_rootkit_scandal |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260204145529/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_BMG_copy_protection_rootkit_scandal |archive-date=2026-02-04 |access-date=20 Apr 2025 |website=Wikipedia}}</ref> dubbing this form of DRM also as the Sony Rootkit. | |||
=== Software === | |||
Most discussions about DRM often associate its use with some form of software restriction, from the simple product key, to the infamous [[Denuvo]] DRM. Historically, DRM started off with simpler physical techniques, such as decoder wheels and [[wikipedia:Lenslok|LensLok]]. The effectiveness of these systems varied, and many cracking groups simply found ways around them, especially since second-hand copies of software that used these primitive forms of DRM could easily become lost, damaged, or worse, fail to function with certain hardware.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Whitehead |first=Ben |date=15 Apr 2010 |title=Banging the DRM |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/banging-the-drm-article?page=2 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251118190312/https://www.eurogamer.net/banging-the-drm-article?page=2 |archive-date=2025-11-18 |access-date=20 Apr 2025 |website=EuroGamer}}</ref> This has essentially sparked a game of cat and mouse that continues to fester, especially for the gaming community, to this day.<!-- This could use some additional information about regular hobby and office software, as it is primarily about games right now --> | |||
==Further reading== | ==Further reading== | ||
*[[Automotive digital restrictions management]] | *[[Automotive digital restrictions management]] | ||
=== Types of DRM === | ===Types of DRM=== | ||
==== Gaming ==== | ====Gaming==== | ||
* [[Denuvo]] | *[[Denuvo]] | ||
* [[SecuROM]] | *[[SecuROM]] | ||
==== Other ==== | ====Other==== | ||
* [[HP Dynamic Security]] | *[[HP Dynamic Security]] | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||