one license, DRM scheme to rule them all

[praka123]

EU: one license, DRM scheme to rule them all

By Nate Anderson | Published: January 03, 2008 - 02:05PM CT



Companies that want to sell online content in the European Union know that the common market doesn't apply to everything; selling digital music or offering movie downloads in Europe means negotiating separate licensing agreements in different countries and launching multiple storefronts. Today, the European Commission announced a plan to create a single, European-wide market for online music, films, and video games. It's even pushing for content owners to get their collective act together and produce a truly interoperable, consumer-friendly DRM system.



EU Commissioner Viviane Reding announced the plan today with a statement saying that "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?"
The answer, of course, is a resounding "Yes! Oui! Ja!" The Commission plans to adopt a "Recommendation" by the middle of 2008 that it will use to encourage content owners, ISPs, and consumer groups to make progress in these areas. The Commission already knows that it wants to see more content made available online, and today said that it is "strongly encouraging stakeholders" to streamline negotiations over rights.
The Commission also wants to see rights licensed on a multi-territory basis, rather than country-by-country. Without such multistate licenses, it can be "difficult for online services to be deployed across Europe and to benefit from economies of scale." Negotiating rights to sell digital music, for instance, can be thorny enough in just one country, but when you multiply the problem by five, ten, or twenty countries, the history, laws, and language issues make it truly daunting. Being able to purchase EU-wide licenses for songs would make opening such stores far simpler, and it would be more likely that smaller markets would have access to such stores.



DRM, where it is used, also needs to remain transparent to consumers, a goal which includes interoperability. The Commission notes that "lengthy discussions amongst stakeholders have yet to lead to the deployment of interoperable and user-friendly DRM solutions." This is an early candidate for understatement of the year, and European countries have long shown themselves more interested, at a national level, in the issue of DRM and its problems than the US government ever has. Still, it's hard to see much coming from this; the private sector has had incentives to get this done for years and has so far failed.



Finally, the Commission plans to lay out "cooperation procedures" between ISPs, content owners, and consumers. The goal is to create "codes of conduct" for each party that will curtail piracy but also make available more "attractive content online."



The language of the announcement talks repeatedly about "encouragement" and "recommendations," but the Commission seems to be making an implicit promise to regulate in these areas if more is not done over the next few years by the private sector. Serious money is at stake as online content sales blossom in Europe; according to the Commission's own projections, revenues from online content sales will surge from €1.8 billion in 2005 to €8.3 billion in 2010.



http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post...-them-all.html

[gxsaurav]

DRM isn't bad if properly implemented

[gary4gar]

DRM sucks big time:devil:

[infra_red_dude]

Originally Posted by gx_saurav

DRM isn't bad if properly implemented

DRM in its current form is bad in every way!

[ax3]

yeh it really sucks ........ y cant v have FREE world without all this ......

[Pathik]

DRM will affect the original_stuff users more than the pirated_stuff users in a negative way..
That's why it sucks.

[goobimama]

If the companies implement DRM in such a way, that the customers actually benefit from DRM than not having it, while the pirates suffer, then it will be a good thing. I have no clue as to how this could be done, but I'm sure the brains at these companies can figure out something...

Till then, I will leave my opinion of DRM in Praka's hands...

[Pathik]

Yea. Praka is our frontrunner in the war against DRM.

[Charan]

How many here have actually used DRM content? I have and I have been using it for atleast a year.

[iMav]

and how irritating or how infringing is it on u

and if im no wrong jeshtha cant use drm files coz he is on linux which doesnt play drm content maybe im wrong (not sure)

[Charan]

Originally Posted by iMav

and how irritating or how infringing is it on u

and if im no wrong jeshtha cant use drm files coz he is on linux which doesnt play drm content maybe im wrong (not sure)

No problem till now on windows .. I cant listen to the music or watch videos in Linux ( DRM Music/Videos )

[MetalheadGautham]

DRM just sucks, in every form till now, and we can't see a good future for it. Its just that pricing is never right. DRMed AAC Music at 128 kbps from apple costs just a tad less(or even more) than an original lossless CD print of the same. AND we don't get to use them properly. Whats the point of such DRMs?

[naveen_reloaded]

Drm sucks

[iMav]

ok so i was right jeshtha hating drm has got to do a lot with linux's inability to play drm (whether 1 agrees or dis-agrees i give a damn)

drm as i have said earlier is something that makes piracy difficult as in if ur playing a drm protected video for instance it will make sure that u cannot record that video using some screen rec. software as it disables that feature some how for the video card being used

another thing is that drm protected content also requires drm certified hardware which means that again piracy is restricted .... so the idea is good implementation requires some work to be done so that it is accepted by users

also this means that 1 will need to buy original cds/dvds .... a lot of times i find it difficult to say no to my friends who come over and want me to rip them my purchased movies or songs this gives u a reason to decline

also drm protected dvds come with converted formats also for pmps though it is not upto the mark as in the converted files play on a limited no. of devices but the point is the steps are being taken to ensure the consumer does not suffer

[nvidia]

Originally Posted by naveen_reloaded

Drm sucks

+1

[praka123]

DRM Sucks!no other reasons!no persuasion damn EU and their media's.DRM is founded and sponsored by evil minds!I support pirates rather than DRMing whole software and hardware!

[x3060]

damn, dont these guys ever stop it...

[Batistabomb]

Damn, they won't stop ?

[praka123]

Now may be we will see in future that those without $$$ will be going back ages like may be Flint stones thanks to monopoly devils!

[iMav]

Originally Posted by praka123

Now may be we will see in future that those without $$$ will be going back ages like may be Flint stones

to be corrected as:

Now may be we will see in future that those without Windows or OS X will be going back ages like may be Flint stones switch jeshtha switch ... dont worry we will help u with ur queries and doubts about vista .... swtich my friend switch

[praka123]

^imeow working with his power of making FUD like the owner(M$),JFYI,I have never tried HD videos and am least interested to!.and imeow u better join FOSS community as u can be used as a blind advocate!
For Me,Linux and Open Source is the way!No to DRM,monopolies(M$FT esp!) software patents all needs to be eliminated!

[Faun]

Originally Posted by iMav

to be corrected as:

Now may be we will see in future that those without Windows or OS X will be going back ages like may be Flint stones switch jeshtha switch ... dont worry we will help u with ur queries and doubts about vista .... swtich my friend switch

lol..the world is all for open source, free mind.

No question about switching to a restricted confined place

[gxsaurav]

1st) DRM doesn't affect u unless u play DRMed content. The services in Windows Vista for DRM do not start unless the content is DRMed (files has DRM flag).

2nd) DRM content drivers do not load in Vista unless the content asks for it.

So, yes...there is a check for DRM in the background of Vista, but that doesn't hampers the performance 50% like some ignorant users claim it does.

Beside, why does DRM bother u? R U forced to use DRM content in India?

[iMav]

jeshtha drm is proposed by and endorsed by almost every hardware and software company the 1s who dont will also join soon

can u or FOSS come up with a better solution for avoiding piracy as drm is a strong mechanism in concept and is proving to be so practically too as my previous post i have cited how it helps in reducing piracy and at the same time finding ways to not affecting consumers that is what drm is meant for


also something i missed last time .... drm content gives the consumer permission to convert or transfer the drm protected content a limited no. of times (depends on the provider) adding that too the availability of pre-converted pmp formats i find no reason why drm should be a problem to the 1s who buy and use original media .... as charan has already said he is using drm content and has no problem other than linux not being able to play it

[gxsaurav]

Originally Posted by praka123

I have never tried HD videos and am least interested to

Then why do u want us not to try it either?

can u or FOSS come up with a better solution for avoiding piracy

That's a worthwhile Question. if u don't know how to stop piracy then stop blaming DRM & don't buy DRMed content. Nobody is forcing

[iMav]

and also 1 scheme that is only drm is good because then u wont have different standards/methods of encrypting data ... 1 scheme works thruoghout eurpe and maybe throughout the world .... makes sense for a consumer who buys original uses original

[Faun]

Originally Posted by gx_saurav

Then why do u want us not to try it either?



That's a worthwhile Question. if u don't know how to stop piracy then stop blaming DRM & don't buy DRMed content. Nobody is forcing

may DRM endure the Starforce fate

Btw nothing can stop piracy, only we can.

[iMav]

stopping and avoiding are 2 different things ...not being able to stop terrorism doesnt mean u stop probing it or stop funding anti-terrorism mechanism .... drm is an attempt at reducing piracy bringing all media and tech companies together to wrok and help each other making things work better for the consumer

[praka123]

Originally Posted by praka123

DRM Sucks!no other reasons!no persuasion damn EU and their media's.DRM is founded and sponsored by evil minds!I support pirates rather than DRMing whole software and hardware!

^that answers the obvious questions by the monopoly supporters!@imeow and gx-sourav

the thing is,at any cost no DRMing of h/w and s/w!
I'd like to ask u monopolists 1 Que:So,you brought a plot in Delhi City Centre.Do you allow someone to own it overpowering you!(remember khosla ka Ghosla )
the same goes here as the users right to use their hardware and software which they bought unrestricted!piracy is 2nd to locking of users rights by Monopoly lobbyists of big corporations like M$FT.
In no way,does we have to agree to that "fair user" crap set up by these morons in US!

[gxsaurav]

Originally Posted by praka123

^that answers the obvious questions by the monopoly supporters!@imeow and gx-sourav

Menas u support & favor stealing the hard work of Music studios & actors rather then paying what they deserve