It’s a full-time job figuring out how to use copyrighted assets, like stock photos, logos, and films.
The challenges associated with copyright management get more complex as our use of digital content increases. Up until the last couple decades, no one could store duplicates of content on a local device because of copy-protected floppy discs. The development of over-the-top (OTT) and cloud-based content sharing has expanded the meaning of digital rights management (DRM).
Today, almost every piece of content has DRM technology. It’s impossible for one person to keep track of all newly-created content and prevent unauthorized use. That’s why many businesses today use digital rights management systems.
Digital rights management limits the use of digital assets that are protected by copyrights. DRM tools safeguard the rights of copyright holders and stop unlawful distribution or modification.
DRM now contributes to data security. In the publishing world, digital rights management gives authors a degree of control over what readers can do with their work. But with the emergence of peer-to-peer file exchange services like torrent sites, online piracy, and copyrighted content are in constant battle.
Companies can avoid legal problems from unlawful use of digital rights management platforms to stop people from accessing assets. However, DRM methods don’t catch pirates. They instead prevent unauthorized use of the content from being stolen or shared in the first place.
Copyright infringement is everywhere: music, movies, software, photographs, etc. This could look like selling counterfeit copies of the newest Marvel film or using somebody else’s image to deceive customers on sketchy e-commerce platforms.
visits to piracy websites were made from January to September 2021 throughout the television, film, music, software, and publishing industries.
Piracy schemes affect major organizations, but it also takes a toll on small businesses and individual content creators. And since DRM stops unauthorized use without the content creator's permission, it’s the best way to retain ownership of your content, support better licensing agreements, protect confidential information, and avoid legal issues.
The first instance of DRM software was introduced in 1983 to help facilitate transferring payment to copyright holders, but recent, advanced technology has made piracy simpler. Many copyrighted photographs, films, and audio recordings are shared on the internet, most often without permission.
While piracy existed before the internet, it wasn’t as pervasive. However, as digital music and internet videos gained popularity, nations were forced to rush to enact legislation to combat digital piracy. By the 2010s, digital rights management became a priority rather than an afterthought as governments implemented new regulations and leadership teams investigated new methodologies for protecting their companies' work.
Along with government intervention came the development of tools that allowed content producers to prevent digital theft. Now, new technologies, DRM papers, and several digital management solutions are continuously being developed.
Recording information pertaining to the use and reuse of digital assets reduces the likelihood of legal consequences for businesses. They have to maintain track of how internal and external parties are allowed to employ assets. When businesses hire third-party agencies to develop content on their behalf, a plethora of contracts governs how the content is used.
Keeping track of this manually in a spreadsheet is a labor of not-exactly-love, but digital asset management (DAM) provides information about how employees can take advantage of these types of assets via a self-service portal. Within a DAM library, you tie DRM directly to single assets or groups of assets, delivering explicit usage information to the right people at the right time, so they can decide what they want to do with the content. Some of the best DAM software has built-in DRM capabilities.
Data governance and data protection are the two main objectives of DRM. Several implementation strategies for this technology and efforts to create new ones are ongoing. Many DRM techniques use encryption or computer code embedded into digital content to restrict access or use. These resources can assist in:
The technology also tracks and manages content by integrating it with other programs. DAM platforms employ a flexible structure to maintain secure access to assets and protect content consumption within corporate conditions. This software also further restricts content access usage when DRM techniques are incorporated with it.
Some of the several digital rights management solutions you can select from are listed below. Keep in mind that your choice partly depends on the type of digital information you want to protect. Take into account that you can combine multiple DRM systems to achieve the highest available security.
DRM has a wide range of applications, making it a flexible technology for developing usage regulations. DRM requires a positive answer to the following questions before consumers can use the assets.
A few common use cases include:
Digital rights management is unquestionably crucial in today's digital environment, not just for digital content providers but also for businesses and individuals that license or purchase digital assets from third-party creators. Implementing DRM software:
While DRM has several benefits, let’s ensure you understand some of its challenges.
You don’t always need advanced technologies or specific DRM services to get started. Depending on your use case, simple actions such as encrypting a PDF with a password before sharing it or putting a watermark on an image promotes fair usage. Remember these DRM best practices if you intend to begin utilizing DRM.
When digital content is described as DRM protected, it signifies that there are restrictions on how it can be utilized. In general, any digital content that is protected by a DRM solution is referred to as DRM protected content. Content can be classified as protected when a certain set of guidelines are added to the copyrighted content to prevent any unauthorized access.
DRM software must be used to safeguard all digital media assets. A digital rights management system includes both online and offline content in its scope. You can take advantage of its solutions in scenarios like:
DRM-protected content provides its publisher complete control, keeping it safe from being downloaded, shared, copied, or redistributed. However, the approach to content protection is occasionally unclear, making it difficult to know which platform to select. These five tips will help you pick the best DRM software for your business.
A robust content protection solution offers lots of policies and permissions. Research options and choose one that comes with a variety of features without compromising on end-user experience or security. Think about Goldilocks when making a choice: a good solution guarantees content security but never causes difficulties for users.
Pay close attention to the settings and choices offered by the software. Advanced DRM policies must offer the publisher control over its content while also staying in line with its distribution requirements. For instance, imposing expiration dates makes sure that users only view the content for a certain amount of time. Access to files is restricted by adding IP addresses and device limitations. Controlling how people find content is the greatest approach to security and control.
Remember watermarking when securing digital assets. Watermarks fight piracy by preventing anyone from sharing or duplicating content. Adding dynamic watermarks identifies who owns a specific file or group of files, reducing the likelihood of intellectual property theft.
The user experience (UX) digital content provides often determines how good it is. As a business owner or content creator, you can’t sacrifice a good UX in the name of security. You have to find software that enforces copyright laws of keeping material exclusive and delivers a positive end-user experience.
Maintain the balance with software with advanced policies in conjunction with publisher control, easy content distribution over various channels, and protection of several kinds of content.
While providing the best end-user experience to customers is essential, it's equally critical to take publishers' journeys into account. Consider software that’s well-suited to specific workflows and needs when selecting your content protection strategy.
The software market is continuously developing as new competitors, and cutting-edge technologies challenge established standards. To be included in this list, the software must:
*Below are the top five leading DRM software based on data pulled from January 2023. Some reviews may be edited for clarity.
Bynder is a digital asset management system that provides marketing teams with a cloud-based platform for creating, locating, and using digital content. It promotes seamless digital content creation and aids in the automation of content workflows.
“Bynder is a highly successful cloud-based digital asset management system that is the key to company integration and utilization. It is an excellent solution, and the smart filter search system and file version control are game changers for the advertising industry. All employees can easily find jobs and have instant access to our assets without needing a VPN connection. Bynder dramatically increases our productivity and file management.”
- Bynder Review, Scott A.
“I wish that there was some kind of folder structure within Bynder to kind of mirror how we all operate on our desktops, hard drives, etc. It isn't a make or break, more just a learning curve. ”
- Bynder Review, Katelyn R.
Digify is a cloud-based information security and storage solution that offers comprehensive data management, protection, and tracking. It features document access control, sophisticated encryption, data tracking, print and downloadable permissions, and personalized watermarks.
“The best feature of Digify is the tracking of any shared document through virtual data rooms. We can know the exact status of our documents, like viewers, forwarders, location access, and how often it has been circulated over the internet. These functions are beneficial for securing our digital assets as we can revoke access and shred the documents remotely if required.”
- Digify Review, Kamran A.
“Digify does not have the same level of data analytics sophistication as other providers.”
- Digify Review, Jeremy N.
Primetime DRM secures content and offers business models for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Roku, Xbox, and embedded device platforms, such as anonymous, subscription, rental, and download-to-own content.
“The best thing about this software is its huge amount of applications. A good range of entertainment options is really great. I can design anything without any problem.”
- Primetime DRM Review, Sujeet Singh R.
“The pricing of this software is the worst part. Though the software gives so many things with the pricing, there are a few things I am unable to use. There should be customization for the software pricing according to the application needed.”
- Primetime DRM Review, Aditya S.
Copyscape is software for detecting duplicate material. Use it to easily discover websites that have copied or quoted your work without authorization. It finds instances of plagiarism on any online content like blogs, marketing materials, or digital publications.
“Copyscape is the best and quickest plagiarism checker online tool to check the uniqueness of the content. With the help of Copyscape, I can be sure now that the content I wrote is unique. In terms of cost, it is very much affordable and does not need monthly subscriptions to use the service. One can easily purchase premium credits for as low as $5 and use them as needed.”
- Copyscape Review, Nitish A.
“It is only available in English, which means it cannot be used in other languages.”
- Copyscape Review, Zachary Michelle M.
Widen DAM facilitates the management and distribution of brand assets across teams, technologies, and channels. A schema for metadata that is extensively flexible, Widen provides robust, business-specific search and workflow features.
“Widen provides the freedom to build and maintain the DAM to suit the needs of our team. Getting to set a full range of governance without product limitations makes for a unique experience.”
- Widen Review, Roger C.
“The service's UX is, in my opinion, in dire need of an update and rework. While the portals themselves have limitations, and I understand that, it still is extremely frustrating at times to navigate through the site, linking uploaded assets. These refreshing items will cache and not actually save for previews.”
- Widen Review, Abbas K.
When it comes to safeguarding sensitive data, particularly intellectual property, the digital planet opens the door to a whole universe of possibilities. By making it clear what people can and cannot do with certain content, you help users understand copyright and intellectual property. DRM protects your financial and creative investments and steers you toward calmer seas.
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