A digital rights management (DRM) system, using a secret key, encrypts content to make it unwatchable so that only somebody who has the key can decrypt and watch it. But that key, like all digital information, is easy to copy and share so on its own it is not sufficient to protect the content.
Since the dawn of the digital age, copyright holders have been attempting to address the piracy problem. This was initially software-based, i.e., trying to stop people copying computer games and operating systems.
As music, film, television and sports moved into the digital world, rights holders needed to find lightweight, non-intrusive and effective DRM technology solutions to protect their intellectual property.
The license may also contain rules for time-based usage, for example a movie can be watched for up to 48 hours before it is disabled, or the movie may be downloaded to the user’s device for watching in an offline setting such as on a plane or train.
