Encouraging recognition of fair uses in DRM systems

Various aspects of digital right management (DRM) systems are presented. Most DRM systems do not even acknowledge the possible existence of rights other than the content owner's to license a particular work. They simply facilitate the execution of a contract between the content owner and a customer, represented by a set of authorizations specifying which actions the owner sub-licenses to the customer with respect to a particular work. The DRM system designers would be protected from charges of contributory infringement with respect to any action grounded in the safe harbor rights.