Caachi, DRM, and You

Digital Rights Management (DRM) is a group of technologies and policies that try to control the copying and use of digital media. Using DRM in certain industries makes sense ( e.g., the medical field to protect health records) but DRM's use for the independent film world is not compelling. Past and current attempts at DRM has been fraught with missteps: using DRM to prevent the illegal use of digital media has constrained its legal use as well.

Caachi is committed to providing digital media that is DRM-free. DRM schemes, while best-intentioned, damages the opportunities for independent filmmakers to distribute their works online for the following reasons:

• Distributors use DRM to force you to see films on devices that the distributors themselves control. You are not free to choose the device on which - be it a computer, dvd player, or personal media player, to watch your films.
• DRM schemes are fallible. The track record for DRM in protecting digital media has been spotty. Perhaps the most famous of DRM schemes that has been compromised is the Content Scramble System (CSS) designed to copy-protect DVD video disks. For more information, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content-scrambling_system.
• DRM limits fair use, treating viewers like criminals. To a burn a copy of a film onto a DVD to play on a TV shouldn't be prevented. However, many DRM schemes do not allow buyers the simple right of to use their legitimately-purchased content as they desire.
• Mainstream film distributors portray DRM as a shield against piracy, but, while it is perhaps relevant to them, for the independent filmmaker that portrayal does not apply. Like independent music, independent films will find a financially-supportive audience because of the stronger emotional connection between the filmmaker and audience. Placing viewing limitations on the audience using DRM only limits an independent film's exposure and ultimately its sales.

Anyone can copy a digital work if one really wants to; this is simply a risk that is here to stay in the digital world in which we live. However given the reasons above, Caachi strongly believes that the copying of independent films will be the exception and not the rule.

For more information on DRM, we suggest the following link on the Electronic Frontier Foundation's website:

http://www.eff.org/IP/DRM