Re: WebVR and DRM

Good question Louay and great subsequent discussion Florian, Brandon and
David.

Here are a few points to add on behalf of content publishers:

   - I work at Brightcove which is used by many well-known video publishers
   for both web and native app/OTT delivery, and yes often using various
   flavors of DRM.
   - Yes there is demand from publishers for VR viewing experiences,
   similar to those which Brandon outlined in his example (virtual theatre,
   viewing of 2D content in a 3D environment)
   - I think everyone on this thread understands the real-life limitations
   of DRM, however many of you also know that the publishers' contracts with
   content providers often stipulate the use of DRM for distribution so there
   is not a choice here as a practical matter.
   - The concept of a restricted Video Layer that supports existing
   web-based video DRM schemes would be a reasonable solution for most legacy
   publishers looking to get their "feet wet" with VR. I think this is a great
   idea and would kickstart many WebVR enabled sites -- especially if it can
   piggyback nicely off of the HTML5 video element's existing "goodness".
   Those that wish to make use of more advanced WebVR / 3D pipeline features
   would need to weigh that against their contractual rights for content
   access.
   - So far we are solving this for publishers only via native SDK/apps,
   both because of the early nature of WebVR but also because of DRM concerns.
   (We are working on a WebVR compatible player release soon, but it will not
   support DRM and faces iOS mobile Safari limitations owing to this ticket
   <https://bugs.webkit.org/show_bug.cgi?id=135379>.)

We're happy to provide more insight into legacy video content publisher's
goals and interoperability with existing DRM schemes as this "Video Layer"
concept continues to grow.

Kieran

On Mon, Jul 10, 2017 at 9:49 AM, David Singer <singer@apple.com> wrote:

> Hi Louay
>
> I think for me one of the motivations for WebVR is to be able to express
> that a post-decode transformation of the media is needed, and that that
> post-decode transformation can be optimized and handled by the pipeline. If
> this works out, then it could make VR and DRM orthogonal questions.
>
> However, I am curious to know if you have mental models of the use of VR
> for content that might need protecting? It seems to me that part of the
> skill of a movie director lies in directing our gaze and attention. Even
> for sports events, many prefer to watch on TV because the skillful
> selection of camera, breadth of view, and so on, can make the game easier
> and more pleasant to follow.
>
>
> > On Jul 10, 2017, at 0:15 , Bassbouss, Louay <louay.bassbouss@fokus.
> fraunhofer.de> wrote:
> >
> > Dear Group members,
> >
> > I am not sure if this topic is already discussed in the group. Is there
> a way to render DRM content for example encrypted 360° videos using WebVR?
> If not, do you plan to address this issue in the future maybe in WebVR
> Working Group Charter?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Louay Bassbouss
>
> David Singer
> Manager, Software Standards, Apple Inc.
>
>
>