Re: MSE and EME timeline update

Hi,

CDT would like to register a formal objection to EME prior to CR.

1. We formally object that there is no covenant-like mechanism to
isolate some of the issues we have been growing increasingly concerned
about in terms of chilling effects to security researchers and
security research. The web platform is fundamentally a space for
tinkering and tinkerers, and to build EME (and by delegation CDMs)
into UAs without a mechanism that makes it clear that W3C contributors
will not exercise legal rights under DMCA (or other similar laws) that
criminalize circumvention of technical protection measures is a big
mistake. We recognize that this wouldn't cover many of the litigious
parties that would be involved in those kinds of disputes (those that
don't contribute to W3C), but that shouldn't stop well-meaning W3C
member organizations that care about the open web from agreeing to
such an anti-aggression covenant.

2. While CDT has never been necessarily against DRM – we think it's a
horrible thing to do to good products and that it never works – we
formally object to EME in that there is no current limit to how far
CDM integration will go in the web platform. It would be a sad day if
the slippery slope of DRM was extended in the very limited UA surface
area to things like text, images or other kinds of objects. We would
like to see some commitment from W3C and EME that it will go no
further.

I realize this may disappoint some of you, but I hope we can still
contribute and interact constructively despite objecting at this
point, on these grounds.

best, Joe

On Fri, Jun 10, 2016 at 5:44 AM, Paul Cotton <Paul.Cotton@microsoft.com> wrote:
> >From the EME and MSE timeline [1]:
>> Thu Jun 9: Last "substantive change"s [3] to MSE and EME
>
> The MSE and EME Editors have completed the processing of the MSE and EME V1 issues and all current "substantive changes" were made to the MSE and EME Editor's Drafts by the June 9 deadline.
>
> The MSE and EME Editors and Chair invite HME WG members to review the recent MSE and EME GitHub activity to ensure that you are in agreement with the recent specification changes and to express your opinion on the CfCs for publishing MSE and EME as Candidate Recommendations.
>
> /paulc
> HME WG Chair
>
> Paul Cotton, Microsoft Canada
> 17 Eleanor Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K2E 6A3
> Tel: (425) 705-9596 Fax: (425) 936-7329
>
>



-- 
Joseph Lorenzo Hall
Chief Technologist, Center for Democracy & Technology [https://www.cdt.org]
1401 K ST NW STE 200, Washington DC 20005-3497
e: joe@cdt.org, p: 202.407.8825, pgp: https://josephhall.org/gpg-key
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Received on Tuesday, 19 July 2016 13:56:25 UTC