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WALLED GARDENS AND DIGITAL RIGHTS MANAGEMENT: THE EXPERIENCE
OF APPLE INC AND LESSONS FOR VIETNAMESE ENTERPRISES

1
Chu Ba Quyet* , Bui Tien An 2
1 Thuongmai University, Hanoi, Vietnam.
2 Hanoi Open University, Hanoi, Vietnam.
(*E-mail: quyetcb@tmu.edu.vn)

ABSTRACT
In the context of the rapidly expanding digital economy, major technology platforms
are reshaping market structures through the integration of “walled garden” models with
Digital Rights Management (DRM) mechanisms. This study analyzes the theoretical
foundations of walled gardens and DRM as tools for controlling access, managing content
distribution, and optimizing value creation within digital ecosystems. It further examines
the implementation experiences of global technology corporations, particularly their
integration of hardware, software, and services to sustain competitive advantages. Based
on an analysis of Vietnam’s legal framework and current practices, the paper finds that
although the protection of digital intellectual property has improved, significant
challenges remain in enforcement, technological standards, and data governance capacity.
The study highlights the need to develop policies that balance copyright protection,
innovation promotion, and fair competition. Accordingly, it proposes several
recommendations to help Vietnamese enterprises effectively leverage digital ecosystem
models while mitigating risks of monopolization and technological dependence.
Keywords: Walled gardens; digital rights management (DRM); digital platforms;
intellectual property protection; digital economy.

1. Introduction
The rapid growth of the digital economy is fundamentally transforming the ways in
which cultural and creative products are produced, distributed, and consumed. In the
traditional economy, intellectual property rights were primarily protected through legal
mechanisms and physical control over tangible copies. In the digital environment,
however, content can be copied, modified, and disseminated at nearly zero marginal cost,
thereby undermining the effectiveness of conventional protection methods. This reality
poses significant challenges to the protection of copyright and related rights, compelling
technology firms to develop new control mechanisms based on digital infrastructure. In
this context, Digital Rights Management (DRM) has emerged as a central tool for
regulating access, restricting usage behaviors, and restructuring the mechanisms through
which intellectual property assets are exploited and monetized in the online environment
(Lessig, 2006). DRM is not merely a content protection technology but also functions as a
mechanism for structuring digital markets by governing access rights, regulating patterns
of use, and shaping the interoperability of devices and software systems. (Netane, 2007)
argues that while DRM offers benefits like enhanced security and new revenue models, it
risks limiting interoperability, reducing consumer autonomy, and constrain competition
by locking users into proprietary platforms.
According to (Hazlett, T.W., Weisman, D.L, 2011), DRM is often deployed as part of
a broader business strategy to manage service ecosystems, thereby creating “walled

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