The internet is very vast, universal and very hard to govern because of its decentralised nature. In its management two key issues arise. One is the digital rights management and also fair use doctrine of digital media. The former is simply a management scheme of digital data through limiting control of the data by the one holding it using a computer program. It restricts sharing through copying. This helps to limit use of the media and also increases amount of revenue generated through the media. The latter on the other hand is a doctrine about freedom of use of any digital media that one owns including sharing.
The data restrictions management is a method of restricting technologically use of digital media through illegal downloading via the internet, copying and all other forms of sharing. It assists holders of the media copyrights to increase revenue and also control of the media. On the other hand this management system has been argued to limit completely legal use of the media by the customers such as backing up the copies, lending them out and many other activities that the DRM restricts and goes against the fair use doctrine.
These two issues are both important in controlling and governing the internet on both being equally strong. The only problem arises when one side takes advantage of the other for example companies using digital restrictions management beyond laws of copyrights and using them to counter competition, reduce innovation and at the same time maximise their revenues. Customers should be free to use what they have bought however they want but within the jurisdiction of the law. For this reason measures to reduce infringement of copyrights should be highly adopted in order to protect the copyrights holders, but , these measures should consider the customers, their rights to use the media and it is through laws, regulations and policies that it can be done and this would lead to a balance between the two issues.
References
Lucchi, N. (2006). Digital media & intellectual property management of rights and consumer protection in a comparative analysis. Berlin: Springer.
The Digital Media Consumers' Rights Act of 2003: hearing before the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, One Hundred Eighth Congress, second session, on H.R. 107, May 1. (2004). Washington: U.S. G.P.O. :.
