Suhit Gupta
04-26-2004, 01:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/04/20/european_union_drm/' target='_blank'>http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/04/20/european_union_drm/</a><br /><br /></div>"The European Commission [last] week said the market for digital content distribution will not amount to much until the multitude of DRM systems become interoperable and content licensing takes place on a Europe-wide basis. And it wants to see legislation to force the rules of the unified internal market on content licensing agencies and copyright holders. The EC's demand should come as music to the ears of Apple, Napster and any other digital download provider currently attempting to license music for sale in multiple EU member states."<br /><br />I have been waiting for this news for a long time. Digital distribution is clearly a border-less concept, or at least it should be, and the more that digital distribution goes global, the more the market is trying to cope and evolve. However, so far, and this is especially evident in the EU, there have been different management systems in different countries. But isn't the EU all about trying to establish one common system, whether economic, political or digital?! The Register points out that <i>"The music industry's pattern of multiple licensing regimes for each European country is increasingly at odds with the EU's goals of a unified European market for goods and services."</i> The EU has started seeking comments from interested parties on legislation covering collective rights management.