The Digital Millennium Copyright Act, or DMCA, “criminalizes production and dissemination of technology, devices, or services intended to circumvent measures (commonly known as digital rights management or DRM) that control access to copyrighted works.” It has also been applied to reverse engineering when it infringes upon copyrighted work in most cases, making the practice illegal except for a few specific exemptions. Basically, any method or technology designed to bypass DRM and infringe upon copyrighted work or works cannot be used, sold, distributed, or otherwise utilized for those purposes unless it falls under the limited range of exemptions.
Ethically, companies are within their right to use DRM to protect their intellectual property. If the information is copyrighted, they may not be inclined to allow users to see the inner workings of the product if they so choose. In the case of CDs or DVDs, companies are also within their rights to restrict how the information or media on those products is to be used. By purchasing and using those products, you agree to the terms set out by the company and enforced by their DRM. That being said, I think there are scenarios in which bypassing DRM is acceptable.
When I purchase music on iTunes or pay for CDs, I do it to support the artist. I feel no obligation to support the company. I will do my best to avoid violating the DRM and the terms and conditions, but if I want to burn a CD for myself or use the media that I have payed for in some way that the DRM is preventing but is within a reason as far as usage, I will do it. I will try to find work arounds that do not conflict with the DRM in some way, but if push comes to shove I don’t feel too bad about it.
In regards to reverse engineering or building tools for the circumventive purposes that allow end users to fix, modify, or extend copyrighted work, I do not think there are many instances where those practices are acceptable. I think that when you purchase something and agree to the terms and conditions of the company that sold it to you, you need to abide by that agreement. If you don’t like the terms, then you don’t need to buy that specific product. I don’t agree with the practice of locked phones or proprietary software on vehicles that the owner cannot alter or use, but that is the nature of the market right now. Voice your opinion through your purchases, whether you support that practice or do not. I think that legal protection from copyrights in many scenarios should suffice and that researchers and developers should be allowed to probe and reverse engineer software for bugs and security flaws, but right now that is not the reality we live in. Companies are within their rights to limit the usage of their products, but you are also within your rights to decide to use other products and spend your money to support better practices.
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