An online pass is a digital rights management system for restricting access to supplemental functionality in a product by using a single-use serial number. Online passes are primarily intended to hinder or discourage the second-hand purchase of a product, and to allow the producer of a product to still return profits from second-hand copies of the product.
These passes were first primarily used by the video game industry, requiring use of a code found in a game's manual or leaflets to access to certain online content, notably online multiplayer.[1] Following criticism of the practice, several major video game publishers, including Electronic Arts and Ubisoft, began phasing out their use in 2013.
A similar tactic has surfaced in the academic textbook industry, regulating use of supplemental material and other online content, with intent to prevent students from obtaining a second-hand or borrowed copy of a needed textbook. This requires them to purchase a new copy in order to use its functionality.[2]