Re: On Encrypted Media Extensions

On Mon, Mar 25, 2013 at 7:38 AM, Alex M (Coyo) <coyo@darkdna.net> wrote:
> Are the Encrypted Media Extensions supposed to be like HDCP for HTML5?

No. EME is not a DRM scheme in itself. It's an API for mediating
message flows between client-side video/audio DRM components and DRM
key servers in a scenario where a browser delegates some functions of
the HTML5 media stack to proprietary DRM component called CDM.

At this time, Google has shipped Chrome OS with a Widevine CDM
(https://plus.google.com/100132233764003563318/posts/6QW8TLtV6q3).
Microsoft is listing EME as a standard effort that PlayReady supports
on its PlayReady site
(https://www.microsoft.com/playready/standards/), which strongly
suggests that there will be a PlayReady-based EME CDM, too. There may
end up being other CDMs, but at this time I am not aware of
proprietors of other DRM schemes publishing indications upcoming EME
integration.

> HDCP was an excellent success, wasn't it?
>
> I hear the master key was not only cracked, but leaked globally.

What's your point? As long as there is a reason to even suspect that a
court might deem HDCP to be an "effective technical protection
measure", the hands of law-abiding hardware vendors are tied and they
need to get permission to build functionality around HDCP. As far as I
can tell, HDCP continues to be a success for the purpose of Hollywood
having control over the features present in mass-market consumer
electronics.

> Are the EMEs supposed to be more like the Broadcast flag system?

No. (Pay no attention to the Clear Key scheme. It's for debugging and
for meeting procedural requirements of the W3C Process. Don't expect
it to be used for big-studio movies.)

> Who is going to regulate the EMEs?

EME isn't a DRM scheme in itself, so EME doesn't need to be regulated.
As for the CDMs, I would expect the current oversight structure to
persist: The proprietor of a given DRM scheme certifies to content
owners that products embodying an implementation of the DRM scheme
comply with Compliance Rules and Robustness Rules for the DRM scheme
and revokes the keys for products found to be in violation of the
rules. You can find the Compliance Rules and the Robustness Rules for
PlayReady at https://www.microsoft.com/playready/licensing/compliance/
.

> How is this going to encourage a free and
> open web?

Unclear.

> How does this further the mission of the W3C?

Unclear.

-- 
Henri Sivonen
hsivonen@iki.fi
http://hsivonen.iki.fi/

Received on Monday, 25 March 2013 12:20:08 UTC