This eWEEK article has a great analysis of the state of digital rights management (DRM), in light of the fact that the latest version of copy protection for HD DVDs and Blu-Ray discs has been broken. This means that anyone can defeat the protection and make as many copies of the supposedly uncopyable discs as they want, just by using a new software tool.

"DRM is reactive," said Mike Goodman, an analyst at Yankee Group, in the article. "You are always playing catch-up." He said the music industry is pushing a business model that does not translate to a digital world where songs can be quickly and easily distributed across the Web to a broad audience.

Here's an idea; let's stop with the DRM already. (Goodman says as much in the eWEEK article.) It's the proverbial door lock; it keeps honest people honest, but thieves will always be thieves. Meanwhile, the rest of us could then buy music online and listen to it in the car, or buy TV show episodes and then watch them on our cellphones, without having to buy everything twice. Why this continues to escape the recording and movie industries is beyond us.

DRM vs. Hackers: Time to Surrender? [eWEEK]