ASTM Requiring DRM Protection on Standards
Beginning October 1, 2025, ASTM International will require DRM to their standards sold on the ANSI Webstore. This will affect ANSI Webstore customers purchasing any individual ASTM document.
What Is DRM?
Digital Rights Management (DRM) refers to the use of technology to control and manage access to copyrighted material. DRM puts barriers in place to prevent digital content from being stolen through various techniques. Some common examples include restricting users from editing or sharing, setting expiration dates on media, limiting media access to specific devices, and watermarking.
DRM has been used over a vast range of digital content, including books, music, and sensitive business data.
DRM for ASTM International Standards
The DRM measures in place for ASTM International standards and other ASTM documents sold on the ANSI Webstore will include:
- No printing of PDFs
- No sharing or external viewing beyond the licensed user
- No annotations
Furthermore, ASTM documents sold on the ANSI Webstore must have user-identifying watermarks. This includes the following information:
- User’s full name, organization, and email
- Date/Time stamp
- ASTM Copyright Statement
Any DRM protected document purchased on the ANSI Webstore requires a plugin in order to access the publication.
Questions About DRM Protected Publications?
For any questions about this change to ASTM documents or any other inquiries relating to products sold on the ANSI Webstore, please email [email protected] at any time or call 212-642-4980, or live chat with a customer service representative from 8:30AM-6PM EST Monday-Friday.
