Introduction

The Internet is a public network and open to all. Owners of content who want to distribute over the Internet may want to restrict access to their intellectual property. It may be confidential corporate information, or it could be entertainment media sold through an e-commerce site. Rights management offers systems that can control access and aid the successful monetization of content. Like many other issues related to streaming, there are numerous choices to consider when installing a rights management system.

Some very determined pirates and hackers lie out there, waiting to steal your intellectual property, either for gain or as a personal challenge. In choosing a system you will have to judge the level of threat; the more secure a system, the more it will cost. With increased security, authorized users will find it more difficult to access the required content. So there is a trade-off between cost, security and ease of use.

There are two main facets to rights management. The first is the maintenance of artists and producers contracts and royalty payments. The second is the secure delivery. The latter is commonly referred to as Digital Rights Management (DRM). It is the technology that allows owners, distributors and providers of content to deliver content securely to consumers. The rights management can also control who has access to content, for example restrictions to geographical areas. DRM can also be used standalone, to protect confidential...