Digital rights management (DRM) and the development of mobile content in Europe

摘要

If mobile content is going to be a success, it is important that the content provided to the end users is of high quality and that it creates value for the end users. Therefore, it is important that the content producers can protect their copyrights in order to be able to earn money on the production of high value content. Due to "Everything-over-IP" (i.e. a single Internet Protocol platform for both voice and data traffic) and convergence, including the extension of the media sector to the mobile sector, more distribution channels are made available for content. In this situation, DRM can play an important role as it enables the content producers to better control and bill their content although it is distributed over several different distribution channels and networks.rnThis paper looks at the possibilities of DRM for the development of mobile content markets. It will in detail look at the current legal problems and possibilities that are associated with DRM and mobile content, i.e. the national borders due to national legal systems, the har-monisation at EU level, the problems with copies for personal use, the enabling of control over copyrights and the legal protection of DRM systems. Based on the analysis of the legal situation, the outcomes on the development of mobile content markets are analysed.