Before owners of premium digital media content will offer their valuable content for sale or promotion, a secure e-commerce system that protects digital content from illegal use is needed. A critical component of any such e-commerce system is digital rights management (DRM). DRM is a set of technologies content owners can use to protect their copyrights and stay in closer contact with their customers. In most instances, DRM is a system that encrypts digital media content and limits access to only those people who have acquired a proper license to play the content. That is, DRM is a technology that enables the secure distribution, promotion, and sale of digital media content on the Internet.

Digital rights management (DRM) is an umbrella term that refers to access control technologies used by publishers and copyright holders to limit usage of digital media or devices. It may also refer to restrictions associated with specific instances of digital works or devices. For digital protection of software and hardware devices not specifically related to protection of digital media, see copy protection. The use of digital rights management has been controversial. Advocates argue it is necessary for copyright holders to prevent unauthorized duplication of their work to ensure continued revenue streams. Opponents, such as the Free Software Foundation, maintain that the use of the word "rights" is misleading and suggest that people instead use the term digital restrictions management. Their position is essentially that copyright holders are attempting to restrict use of copyrighted material in ways not included in the statutory, common law, or Constitutional grant of exclusive commercial use to them. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, and other opponents, also consider DRM schemes to be anti-competitive practices.