Re: Request for feedback on EME Use Cases

Hi Wayne,

Thanks for the clarification. Now I understand what you are asking. The author control problem you are describing for individual creators is roughly the same problem that studios have today, where they are copyright holders for content being distributed via file-sharing networks without their consent. 

This standard should make it easier in the long run for content to be distributed, but it does not provide the content owners any new controls over how their content is distributed. It provides an explicit mechanism for one type of control (encryption and key acquisition) and it allows for providing additional types of control (e.g. output protection). If an individual creator wanted to publish their content and protect it from infringing uses by any of the big companies you mention, they could leverage the protections this standard describes also. 

It sounds like you would like to see a mechanism for individual authors to exercise additional control (TBD) over how content is distributed. If you have a mechanism to propose, I am sure the group would consider it. Or if you could describe the use case in more detail (especially how it differs from the general problem studios have) that might be useful. 

Joe

On Jul 24, 2014, at 2:06 PM, Wayne Borean <wborean@gmail.com> wrote:

> 
> Joe,
> 
> Yes, it has to do with what I said back in 2013. Sorry for not following up with it then, I've been having some health issues, and have been (up till two weeks ago) living on morphine. Yes, I was quite stoned. Legally too :)
> 
> Author Control is what the WIPO Internet Treaties are all about. Specifically I'm talking about Item 6, Part 1:
> 
> Article 6
> 
> Right of Distribution
> 
> (1) Authors of literary and artistic works shall enjoy the exclusive right of authorizing the making available to the public of the original and copies of their works through sale or other transfer of ownership.
> 
> (2) Nothing in this Treaty shall affect the freedom of Contracting Parties to determine the conditions, if any, under which the exhaustion of the right in paragraph (1)applies after the first sale or other transfer of ownership of the original or a copy of the work with the authorization of the author.5
> 
> 
> 
> Now I haven't been posting, but I have read a lot of the posts over the last year or so. I didn't see any section of the standard which allows the author to control distribution. Say I want to cut distribution - how do I do it?
> 
> There are a variety of reasons I'm bringing this up. I know a bunch of people who've had problems with the distributors. One found his music on iTunes, which he had not given permission for, and was unable to get Apple to remove it. His response, which was to release the music for free on his website, since he wasn't getting paid, was interesting, but probably futile because most people are used to buying from iTunes/Amazon/etc., and probably wouldn't normally visit his site.
> 
> This is just one example - there are a variety of others, some of which have lead to amazing court battles. From the artist's point of view, control is a huge issue, and from my current understanding of the standard, you are not addressing this. If someone steals your creation, you want to be able to take action to get it offline now, rather than five years and possibly millions of dollars in legal fees later.
> 
> I know this may not please a lot of people, but a lot of us consider Apple, Microsoft, Adobe, Amazon, the RIAA members, the MPAA members, the big book companies, etc. to be the enemy in this. The standard does nothing to help us. In fact, it may make things worse
> 
> Wayne
> 
> 
>