Rich Fiscus
2 Oct 2007 8:40
According to Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman, the company has no intention of delivering DRM free digital media, and in fact expects both DRM and watermarking technology to be widely accepted among both content providers and consumers. During an address at a U.S. Chamber of Commerce conference on antipiracy measures he said that these measures "will usher in an unprecedented period of creative output across the globe." Hoping to prove his point, he mentioned that Viacom is already the leader in delivering digital content to mobile devices.
His comments seem to indicate that the parent company of Paramount hasn't learned anything from the music industry experience with media distribution, which is clearly shifting to a DRM free model. While DRM on video destined for mobile devices may make sense, it's not as though there's a huge demand for watching low resolution, low quality video on an HDTV anyway.
Although he also claimed that Viacom supports fair use, his diatribe about the importance of DRM and watermarking didn't include an explanation of how those technologies can be used in a way that allows consumers to take advantage of that right.
If content owners really want to be friends of fair use, it's time to do more than simply give lip service to it. Regardless of the entertainment industry's liberal application of Orwellian doublethink, peace is not war, love is not hate, and DRM (as it's currently implemented) is not conducive to fair use.
Source: CNet News