TABLE OF CONTENTS 
Rights ManagementDigital Rights Management (DRM) is a tricky topic, particularly when couched in the common terms of the movie makers versus the general public. Because that discussion is intensely personal and very controversial, we want to steer clear of making any statements that endorse or condemn DRM. It is your decision whether to use it. This chapter will discuss the Rights Management System as it is implemented in Windows Vista (you can also download it as an add-on for other versions of Windows at www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID-02da5107 2919 414b-a5a3 3102c7447838&DisplayLang=en) to provide DRM services to Windows applications.
Many people in the press and on Web logs have expressed the opinion that DRM in general is a bad thing, because it prevents content consumers from accessing content to which they should have access, whether it s because the content is provided for free, or because they have paid for access to the content.
This is, quite clearly, true: If you have paid for access, or if access is provided for free, it seems strange that someone would prevent you from accessing content just because of the way you plan to access the content, or what you plan to do with it.
But it s not a binary argument. For instance, a person may paint a mural on the side of his house, which makes it publicly readable ; he has not given implicit permission, by doing that, for anyone walking by with a paintbrush to make additions to the...
