 Digital Rights Management (DRM) allows the protection of multimedia content through a variety of mechanisms that restrict the use of content per the publishers requirements.
Microsoft's Windows Media Player is our preferred DRM solution for audio and video because it plays on a variety of platforms including Windows, Mac and hundreds of other devices including a wide range of MP3 players, DVD players and new network media devices. Other DRM solutions are available for ebooks, and for combined media.
The compression format used is optimized for voice files (as opposed to music files). Before the file can play, a valid email address must be entered. The license allows only two uses (which can be renewed indefinitely). This is just one possible licensing scenario.
How DRM Works:Digital media files are maintained in a protected format at all times. This protected file can be freely shared between customers. When customers without a license attempt to access the shared digital media file, they are prompted to get a license for that digital media file by following the business rules specified by us. The example above requires a valid email address. This email address is then sent an authorization code that needs to be entered to gain access to the media file. Because of the viral marketing potential of this method (remember to encourage listeners to send the media file to there friends) it's an ideal way to build a highly targeted e-mailing list.
Other Business ScenariosHere are a few ways that DRM can be implemented for your business:
Using Windows Media Rights Manager, a retail web site offers consumers the option to preview songs before buying them. The consumer is allowed to download any song and play it two times in exchange for registering with the service. The third time the consumer attempts to listen to the file, he is taken directly to the retailers Web site, where he is given instructions on how to purchase the music. The content owner is able to promote its recording artists and albums on the Internet while cutting down on marketing costs and also to use registration information to strengthen its mailing list.
A content owner creates a digital cinematic experience for consumers similar to cable pay-per-view. A consumer visits a virtual video store, provides registration information and a credit card, and rents a movie to play on her PC. The movie, protected with Windows Media Rights Manager, is streamed to the consumers computer.
An employee was unable to attend a company meeting about a new sales program and now wants to view the briefing. Because the company doesn’t want the information to leak out to its competitors, it has protected the streamed content using Windows Media Rights Manager. When the employee selects the presentation on his office PC, a one-time license for the content is issued silently, and the video begins streaming.
As part of a career development program, an employee is taking a marketing class offered by a major university located out of state. The university has saved videos of all the presentations in the course and, using Windows Media Rights Manager, has encrypted them so they can be streamed or downloaded to students computers after the acquisition of a license. The employee logs in, and a license is sent to her computer. The company uses the license as an attendance record and also for billing purposes.
Hard file distribution allows you to send out CD or DVD’s to people across the world, When the file is opened and played.
For $10 a month, a consumer visits a web site that allows him unlimited access to a large collection of songs. He downloads a number of songs and plays them as often a he wants. Using Windows Media Rights Manager, the content owner creates a licenses model with start and end dates. For each song the consumer selects, a license that expires on the last day of the months is pre-delivered to him. The next month, he can no longer play them because his monthly license has expired. He is automatically prompted to pay his monthly fee, after which he is issued new licenses that expire on the last day of the next month.
A consumer visits a retail Web site and finds a song she likes. During the purchase process, she is asked to choose the license she desires. For a small fee, she can play the song for one month. For a larger fee, she can play the song forever and transfer the song to a portable device. She chooses the latter. Windows Media Rights Manager issues a license to her with no expiration date that also includes the right to play the file on her portable music device. These are just a few of the possible business scenarios available with Microsoft's Windows Media DRM. For more information contact us.
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