Consuming Digital Rights: Mapping the Artifacts of Entertainment

Abstract:

"Purpose: The case studies in this article look at user experience issues surrounding authorized and unauthorized media distribution, describing how researchers and practitioners can trace these experiences to learn how to empower social media participants rather than criminalize them.

Method: By using Actor Network Theory (ANT) to look specifically at instances involving digital rights management (DRM) issues in the United States and the European Union, we can discover how content distribution is as much an issue of protecting intellectual property as it is a critical concern for usability.

Results: Amazon's response to the removal of Orwell's books, Hulu's expiration of content, and Pandora's copyright restrictions cause numerous issues for consumers attempting to access this content legally.

Conclusion: As communicators, legal experts, and international policy contributors, it is imperative that we design for these experiences, rather than over and around them. Looking across these networks—documenting what technologies, organizations, and people are involved—we can create a better map of what is or will be affected by any further implementation of law or technology. By participating in spaces typically thought of as the realm of legal scholars, policy makers, and lawyers, technical communicators can be stronger user advocates for the participants of these systems."