Integrated Domain Model for Digital Rights Management

Digital Rights Management (DRM) is an issue of controlling and managing digital rights over intellectual property. Currently, the domain has an essential problem: lack of models on an appropriate level of abstraction needed to support research and system development. This paper contributes in recognizing the principal entities by using the existing frameworks of the domain and our observations of the definitive characteristics of these entities. Modelling, identifying and describing the core entities enable the DRM functionalities. Our analysis distinguishes the evolution stages of digital content processed through the value chain and separates the different offers and agreements through which the rights are traded between the value chain participants. Definition of the differing characteristics is evidently important in specifying the requirements for a comprehensive DRM system.