NCC calls for new laws to protect consumer rights to digital content

In its submission this week to an MP’s inquiry into Digital Rights Management (DRM), the National Consumer Council is to spell out its concern at current self-regulation, and call for new laws to ensure consumers’ rights to use digital content are protected.
DRM technology is increasingly being used in products such as CDs, DVDs and music downloads to control or restrict the use of copyrighted digital works. As the recent Sony/BMG case illustrates, this is proving problematic for consumers. People are finding they cannot play the DVDs they have bought abroad or make compilations of material that they have purchased for their own use. The NCC believes that the use of DRM can and is already constraining the legitimate consumer use of digital content. It is also undermining consumers existing rights under consumer protection and data protection laws.
Jill Johnstone, Director of Policy at NCC, said: “Because of the current situation, consumers face security risks to their equipment, limitations on their use of products, poor information when purchasing products and unfair contract terms.
“While we recognise the value of intellectual property rights, we have little confidence in self-regulation by the industry. We welcome this opportunity to present our concerns to MPs and hope that this will ultimately lead to an improvement the rights of consumers.”
(GB)