Europe Wants To Force DRM Interoperability
Duncan Riley
12 comments »
The European Union wants to standardize content distribution as well as DRM standards, according to statements from EU Commissioner Viviane Reding. Under the proposals, the EU would regulate the market by creating a single, European market for online music, films, and video games.
According to Ars Technica, DRM would also be required to remain transparent to consumers with an aim of providing interoperability. Currently DRM standards from providers including Apple and Microsoft are not compatible, resulting in device lock-in that discriminates against consumers who wish to use their legal purchases on multiple devices, or even switch between devices, say from an iPod to a Zune.
To quote Commissioner Reding
“Europe’s content sector is suffering under its regulatory fragmentation, under its lack of clear, consumer-friendly rules for accessing copyright-protected online content, and serious disagreements between stakeholders about fundamental issues such as levies and private copying.” The way forward, she said, is clear. “Do we want to have a strong music, film, and games industry?”
On one hand the guiding hand of Government regulation may not be a positive, and yet when it comes to DRM perhaps forcing interoperability is a positive, even if the more logical solution would be to be rid of DRM altogether.
Looks like Europe is once again fighting closed standards and giving us consumers choice in how things are done
This is great news!
Jon
What’s going on!!!
“Looks like Europe is once again fighting closed standards and giving us consumers choice in how things are done”
Are you sure?
“Under the proposals, the EU would regulate the market by creating a single, European market for online music, films, and video games” sounds like they’re trying to create one single store that we all have to go to…
More like a single closed standard.
I wish there was somebody like the EU in the U.S. We ain’t got no rights - everything is in favor of the record companies.
Does BMG or EMI Evil Music Industry send a ringtone! Call it the Pharma of the EU…..
This is definitely good news for EU consumers who do not pay attention to what they pay for when they buy DRM crippled music. A step in the right direction.
Simon: I doubt that they want to have a monopoly, that is exactly what they are trying to prevent. A market doesn’t equal “store”.
In fact the EU is not planning to force DRM interoperability. If you read their plan (which is open for comments), they indicate that they are only planning to impose labelling requirements on those selling DRM content. The content will need to clearly state what interoperability and usage limitations apply. Thus the article is perhaps a bit misleading.
The EU’s bureaucratic meddling is the WORST not the best use for consumers. Let the market - via the consumer decide. The games, music and film industry is quite capable of developing strongly without a bunch of largely unelected committee-hoppers with little experience in the professional sector interfering.
I would love to see EU succeed but this attempt stinks of being held up in red tape and of being unfeasible.
If it is the case as Ossi no#7 states - that it is about labelling and the article is misleading then really it is just a storm in a tea cup.
Its a good initiative, but the world changed in december and today, when the last 2 Mafia members announced they’d be dropping DRM.
iTunes: Get with the program
Microsoft: Get with the program
Just get rid of DRM instead of looking for DRM interoperability, the phrase “DRM interoperability” almost sounds as “half pregnant”.
You either protect your media with DRM or not.
DMIN.it is an effort led by Chiariglione, father and president of MPEG, MP3, etc.
I am one of the members of http://www.dmin.it/ (documents in english as well)
Personally, I like flat levys like the one proposed in Canada. http://blog.quintarelli.it/blo.....i-mus.html
But, in the 21st century, in a connected society, can’t we imagine something better than statistical samples to know how to redistribute the levy among authors ?
Well, DMIN is about DRM interoperability (and some level of guarantee of network neutrality and some level of micro-payments and a lot about disintermediation). DRM is not necessarily equivalent to TPM (Technical Protecion Measures. I can have a DRM that simply allows to measure popularity in a precise form, so to redistribute the Levy on a correct basis. (And with this respect, the most the work is diffused, the better).
One more point
As today, it’s impossible to build something based on other’s work because you don’t know who’s the right owner and when they do expire; there’s no longer a centralized DB of registered works. DRM can be a way to attach a licence to a single file, so to know who the right holder is and when they expire; a way to reestablish a DB, but a distributed one.
So anyone can know that my works are free for any use, provided there’s attribution.
DRM can be OK, it needs to be interoperable so that noone uses it to build monopolistic stances building on network effects. Give the authors the possibility to be correctly paid, directly by the consumer) and the assurance that no network can block/filter their content and you will have eliminated that part of the value chain that adds no value in the digital world. Shifting power to authors and enabling a reduction in prices (we all know just a few percent goes to authors today).
DRM can be OK, so you have RIGHTS attached to a file assuring who the rights holder is and when they expire. So you can build safely on existing works without risking to be blocked afterwards, when you’ve completed your work; giving you certaintay of the allowed fair uses as well (not depending on a judge interpretation and decision).