Policy Analysis from the Cato Institute: Circumventing Competition: The Perverse Consequences of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act

Some people seem to think that only those on the political left think DRM (Digital Rights Management) is a bad thing; but this white paper from the undeniably conservative Cato Institute should put that idea to rest. From the policy analysis: “The result has been a legal regime that reduces options and competition in how consumers enjoy media and entertainment. Today, the copyright industry is exerting increasing control over playback devices, cable media offerings, and even Internet streaming. Some firms have used the DMCA to thwart competition by preventing research and reverse engineering. Others have brought the weight of criminal sanctions to bear against critics, competitors, and researchers.”

This should show that everyone except the entertainment industry itself hates DRM.