CBC Will Not Use DRM For A Show

It's been almost a year since we last had news about DRM in Canada. Apparently quite a bit has been going on because now we have a report that Canadian broadcast network CBC is going to use a free distribution process for one of its shows. The program in question is Canada's Next Great Prime Minister. The distribution method? None other than BitTorrent. You don't get any more anti-DRM than that.

"Canada's public broadcast network, CBC, is to adopt DRM free BitTorrent distribution of one of its major primetime shows, Canada's Next Great Prime Minister. The effort has already been hailed by Canadian copyright guru Michael Geist, who expects the decision to add fuel to Canada's net neutrality debate. A CBC producer behind the show told CNET that the motivation for the move was that CBC 'wanted the show to be as accessible as possible to as many Canadians as possible, in the format that they want it in.' As for DRM, she said 'I think DRM is dead, even if a lot of broadcasters don't realize it.' She added that 'if it's bad for the consumers, its bad for the company.'"

Wikipedia defined DRM as "an umbrella term that refers to access control technologies used by publishers and copyright holders to try to limit usage of digital media or devices." In practice, it's a restriction built into digital media or devices. For example, if you're unable to rip a track from a CD you bought so you can convert it into an MP3, it's because of DRM. If the song you bought online is only compatible with a specific media player, then it's because of DRM. It's supposed to be a sort of protection for digital files but usually ends up as a restriction that penalizes users. With DRM gone, fans of the CBC show will be able to watch the it on any medium they want, whether it be a computer or a portable video player. Will other shows follow suit? And will other networks adopt this method?

Source: Slashdot

TAGS: Bittorrent, Canada, Canadian Broadcast Network, Cbc, Show, Tv
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