Digital rights management (DRM) is a term used to describe technologies that restrict the after-purchase use of digital content, such as films, music, ebooks, and so on. Ostensibly, DRM is designed to protect the rights of copyright holders, but opponents of DRM claim that it amounts to an anti-competitive practice that infringes on their rights to what they consider fair use. In this book, the author discusses activists, collectively referred to as the digital rights movement, who are very technology-savvy and use the Internet and modern technology effectively to organize themselves and to bypass DRM-imposed restrictions on the use of digital material.

The book is divided into two parts. In the three chapters of Part 1, the author introduces the subject and reviews the early history of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DCMA) legislation and related copyright law in the US. A snapshot of the current state of organized opposition to DRM is developed.

Part 2 then looks at several case studies of resistance to DCMA, including activist attempts to nullify restrictions on the use of digital content, and the technologies used to enforce restrictions and how they are being defeated. The case studies also illustrate the evolution of concepts of fair use, free speech, and consumer rights over purchased content.

The author provides a concise conclusion. A simple table of contents, notes supporting the main text, detailed references, and a thorough index are included.

This book offers interesting and topical insight into the current debate on the balance of rights between the owners of copyrights and the legitimate paying users of digital content. How much control are copyright owners entitled to exercise over digital works, and what are those who purchase digital content actually paying for? The author does not answer these questions--they are, after all, primarily philosophical. He does, however, provide concise observations on the state of play in the digital rights argument.