Beginning of the End for DRM?
A public posting by Apple's Steve Jobs, as well as numerous articles about it, are providing a hint that digital rights management (DRM) systems may have a limited future in the music industry. This will likely be reflected in other media, if it comes to pass in music, and will certainly affect future DRM use in publishing, film & television distribution and most of the markets for photography reproduction. This will tie in directly, I think, with whatever Orphan Works legislation ultimately comes to pass, and perhaps eliminate most current copy protections provided to authors.
That light at the end of the tunnel is the train headed straight toward us. Forewarned is forearmed. I don't think any trade organization, or even multinational mega-corporations, will be able to stop this. Photographers (and other authors) will soon need dramatic new business and distribution models in order to continue earning royalty streams from their life's body of work. The public posting by Steve Jobs today has staggering implications for the creative industry overall, I believe, but very aptly indicates the reality of our creative businesses.
Scott Highton
Author, Virtual Reality Photography
Web: http://www.vrphotography.com