Re: The subject line is irrelevant these days

On Tue, Oct 22, 2013 at 3:13 PM, Duncan Bayne <dhgbayne@fastmail.fm> wrote:

> > >> Because it's linked from the open web, and unlike (for example) the
> > >> internal network of a corporation, is accessible to anyone. They may
> not
> > >> wish to pay, they may not wish to use the tools needed, of course, but
> > >> those are *their* choices.
> > >
> > > I can choose to become the customer of an ISP, too.
> >
> > perhaps not such a good example, agreed.
>
> It's not a great example for my position, either.  Perhaps a different
> one?
>
> Imagine that the W3C chose to endorse a standard for medical imaging.
> Pages could include an <ctscan> tag that described a manipulable 3D
> image in such a way that a browser could render it.
>
> To start with, say, only Opera* supports that tag - maybe because they
> were in close communication with the other companies involved, and got a
> head start.  Or maybe it was originally an Opera-only feature, and the
> standardization followed.  Either way, the situation is that Opera
> contains the only implementation of that standard.
>
> My choices then are: buy Opera, or *write my own implementation*, Free
> or otherwise.  The fact that only one implementation currently exists
> doesn't preclude anyone with an Internet connection from consuming the
> content; the bar is just higher for those who don't choose to use the
> existing implementation.
>
> DRM is *fundamentally different* to this.
>
> Replaying that scenario: this time it's a CDM called OperaVision.  Opera
> only offers their CDM as a binary blob compiled for Windows, running on
> PCs equipped with a special chip.
>
> My choices then are: buy Opera, Windows and a special PC or ... what?  I
> can use any EME-compliant browser I choose, but that doesn't help me:
> the content is fundamentally broken from the perspective of the open
> web.
>

So, one of the things we are trying to do with EME is create a model where
service providers support multiple DRMs. So you are not required to buy
OperaVision and be restricted to only the platforms that supports, but you
can use WideVine or PlayReady or ... instead and this hopefully gives you
more platforms on which you can access the content.

Of course, this is still _very_ much different from implementing from a
specification, but noone has ever claimed that EME works miracles with DRM,
only that it is an improvement on the status quo.

...Mark



>
> * not criticizing the Opera folks here, just using them as an example of
> a commercial browser producer
>
> --
> Duncan Bayne
> ph: +61 420817082 | web: http://duncan-bayne.github.com/ | skype:
> duncan_bayne
>
> I usually check my mail every 24 - 48 hours.  If there's something
> urgent going on, please send me an SMS or call me.
>
>