A public inquiry will be held into Digital Rights Management (DRM) and surrounding issues, organised by the All Party Parliamentary Internet Group (APIG). Issues under discussion are to include the degree of protection needed for both copyright holders and consumers.
The issue has hit the headlines recently as music giant Sony BMG has come under fire for selling CDs that install allegedly dangerous copy-control software on user's PCs. The firm has now temporarily ceased production of the CDs.
Many other issues are up for debate, including allowing individuals to buy the right to read a book just once, or to pay a certain amount of money each time they play an mp3. Careful consideration needs to be made of the impact of DRM on consumer rights.