Big News! NARA says no to DRM software!

• NARA says no to DRM software, by Jason Miller, FCW, June 18, 2007.
  

  Officials at the National Archives and Records Administration have growing concerns about the effect of digital rights management software on federal records. Allen Weinstein, the nation’s archivist, has issued a new policy stating that NARA will not accept electronic records that include such software.

• NARA Bulletin 2007-02 April 30, 2007; TO: Heads of Federal agencies; SUBJECT: Guidance concerning the use of Enterprise Rights Management (ERM) and other encryption-related software on Federal records

The NARA bulletin refers to “ERM” this way:

Enterprise rights management (ERM) software manages and enforces information access policies and use rights of electronic documents within an enterprise; its development has been predicated on digital rights management (DRM) technology.

Although the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) bulletin says that it will scan electronic records during accessioning and reject those that contain “ERM protection” and return them to the originating agency for removal of the ERM protection, NARA also gives advice to agencies that still want to use ERM.

NARA suggests agencies choosing to deploy ERM or encryption technologies take steps to evaluate the effect that this will have on records management practices and consider instituting policies and procedures that will minimize adverse consequences.

Thanks to Patrice McDermott and GovInfo News (7-6-2007)!

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