If you pay attention to the tech world or, for that matter, exist at all within out ever changing digital world, you're likely familiar with the term Digital Rights Management (DRM). This technology is an abomination and, in my opinion, a complete and total failure. Unfortunately, I've just been bestowed with the task of DRM'ing products for the audiobook company I work for.

You can say what you want about intellectual property theft and internet piracy, but the fact remains that DRM is not the answer to anything. Not only does it not work, but it actually hinders those without unlawful intentions. The fact of the matter is that people like me can get around any copy protection you can throw at us. Hell, if by some chance we can't find a way to break your encryption, we'll just take advantage of the analog hole and completely bypass your DRM all together.

The problem is that all the lawful consumers of copy protected content are constantly trapped behind the limitations that DRM brings to the table. Whether it's your operating system, media player, or portable device, you're going to find that the content you want to be available everywhere is simply locked out of just about everything.

If you can't tell already, I am adamantly against DRM. And like I said before, DRM cannot and doesn't stop me. It simply adds another meaningless step in the process of putting my content on whatever device I want it to be on. I just don't get how it could possibly make any business sense to lock your customers out of the products they're buying from you?

Well, as much as I hate DRM, it's now my new job. Due to a contractual obligation with some of the publishers we do business with, we have to copy protect some of the products. And guess what, now the biggest anti-DRM supporter in my office is tasked with DRM'ing some of our products. I spent most of the day working on re-implementing our current system. How ironic is that?

posted by Christopher Schnese