- From: Amy van der Hiel <amy@w3.org>
- Date: Mon, 18 Sep 2017 10:35:08 -0400
- To: w3c-news@w3.org
- Cc: Amy van der Hiel <amy@w3.org>, W3C PR <w3t-pr@w3.org>
Dear Media, Analysts and Friends of W3C,
W3C is pleased to announce that W3C Publishes Encrypted Media Extensions (EME) as a W3C Recommendations. Encrypted Media Extensions (EME) brings greater interoperability, better privacy, security, accessibility and user experience in viewing movies and TV on the Web
For more information, please see the Press Release here and text version below:
https://www.w3.org/2017/09/payments-media-advisory.html.en
For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact:
w3t-pr@w3.org <mailto:w3t-pr@w3.org
Thank you.
Kind regards,
Amy van der Hiel
W3C Media Relations
———
[1]W3C For immediate release
[1] https://www.w3.org/
W3C Publishes Encrypted Media Extensions (EME) as a W3C Recommendation
Encrypted Media Extensions (EME) Brings Greater Interoperability, Better
Privacy, Security, Accessibility and User Experience in Viewing Movies
and TV on the Web
__________________________________________________________
Read [2]testimonials from W3C Members and [3]Related
Organizations
[4]Translations | [5]W3C Press Release Archive
__________________________________________________________
[4] https://www.w3.org/Press/Releases-2017#eme-recommendation
[5] https://www.w3.org/Press/
[6]illustration of movies on the Web showing a ticket
[6] https://www.w3.org/2017/09/eme-movies-on-the-web-ticket.png
[7]https://www.w3.org/ — 18 September 2017 — Furthering its
goal to make the Web a first-class platform for media and
entertainment, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) published
[8]Encrypted Media Extensions (EME) as a W3C Recommendation or
Web standard. EME is an Application Programming Interface (API)
that allows plugin-free playback of protected (encrypted)
content in Web browsers, which works seamlessly on all major
platforms. W3C's Media Source Extensions (MSE) provides the API
for streaming video while its companion Encrypted Media
Extensions (EME) provides the API for handling encrypted
content. The combination of MSE and EME is the most common
practice today that allows Web developers to stop using plugins
to deliver commercial quality video over the Web.
[7] https://www.w3.org/
[8] https://www.w3.org/TR/2017/REC-encrypted-media-20170918/
"EME is already widely adopted as a direct result of broad
collaboration in W3C among major organizations such as Google,
Microsoft, Netflix, Mozilla, Apple, CableLabs, Adobe, and has
significant implementation across Web browsers." said Philippe
Le Hégaret, W3C Project Lead.
The viewing experience of watching movies and TV shows on the
Web has now moved from a cumbersome and possibly insecure
arrangement to the security of the Open Web Platform. The
integration of the EME API into the Open Web enables Web
browsers to communicate with the software that allows playback
of protected content.
User Benefits of EME
EME offers a better user experience, bringing greater
interoperability, privacy, security and accessibility to
viewing encrypted video on the Web.
"The EME specification has been developed with a focus on the
security and privacy of the user. Compared to previous methods
of viewing encrypted video on the Web, EME has the benefit that
all interactions happen within the browser. EME moves the
responsibility for interaction with encrypted video from
plugins to the browser, which acts as a true user agent",
continued Philippe Le Hégaret.
Keeping security interactions within the control of the
browsers is a key aspect of EME. The EME Recommendation clearly
calls attention to the importance of mitigating such security
and privacy threats as network attacks, illicit tracking and
the compromise of device-side user information. Thanks to wide
review during the development of EME, all security and privacy
requirements are now documented in distinct sections. Moreover,
the EME specification provides a clear road-map of what
implementers must do to enhance the security and privacy for
the Web users.
Plugins have historically been used when features were not
available in the Web. One by one the Open Web Platform
implementations have been eliminating these plugins. Whilst
some sites have already moved away from plug-ins to EME, the
standard will have a positive effect on site migration. The Web
has improved in such a way that installing plugins to play
video is now a thing of the past. By moving all interactions
into the browsers they are shielded from security
vulnerabilities of plugins. By the same token, Web developers
no longer have to use proprietary tools required by external
plugins programming environments; they may now develop their
Web Applications once and deploy on the Web.
While EME lets users have more control over how they interact
with protected content, EME does not create, nor mandate
Digital Rights Management (DRM). It doesn't mandate any
particular Content Decryption Module (CDM) implementation
either, but only ensures the Clear Key common key system is
supported, providing browsers with a common baseline level of
functionality. An advantage is that EME can be implemented in
open source and free software browsers. Additionally,
implementing EME, like all W3C Recommendations, is voluntary.
Being an extension to the Open Web Platform, EME is not
required for HTML compliance, and browsers have the choice not
to implement it. In such case, a browser would have full
capability to support unencrypted content.
EME improves the accessibility of encrypted online video, in
contrast to existing mechanisms, by operating at a level that
does not interfere with transmission or control of
accessibility information. This is achieved by isolating the
function of playing protected content, and by integrating it to
the Open Web Platform. W3C standards development includes
accessibility review to identify potential barriers to
accessibility and new opportunities for accessibility support.
W3C's analysis and testing of EME has shown no barriers to
accessing captions, transcripts, or audio description of video.
Applications conforming to EME ensure that accessibility
information will be either transmitted in the clear; or, if
encrypted, then decrypted along with the primary video file.
All functionalities involved being provided by the HTML
specification or some of its extensions, current and future
accessibility enhancements of the Open Web Platform can be
leveraged. (Read more about [9]EME and Accessibility.)
[9] https://www.w3.org/2017/03/eme-accessibility.html
Substantial interoperability of EME between browsers has been
demonstrated as part of the development of the specification.
Not only does EME ensure seamless playback of video content
across many browsers, but it benefits from the excellent
state-of-the-art model of the entire modern Web stack.
For more technical details on the specification as well as
history, please read the [10]Director's disposition of comments
and decision on EME and [11]EME Backgrounder.
[10] https://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html-media/2017Jul/0000.html
[11] https://www.w3.org/2017/07/EME-backgrounder.html
The Debate about EME Becoming a W3C Recommendation
The decision to advance EME to W3C Recommendation was made by
W3C Director Sir Tim Berners-Lee, following a six-year
multistakeholder effort and extensive technical work and open
discussions within the Web community.
"If you’re going to watch encrypted content it is safer in the
browser where the security and privacy are provided rather than
downloaded as an app." said Tim Berners-Lee. "A universal web
must have content of all sorts: audio, video, text,
interactive, maps and graphics. Some parts of the web are free
and some are for pay. It’s understandable that certain
producers incurring huge costs to produce their content are not
prepared to release them without protections. If we are to have
de-encryption, the advantage of EME is that unlike the typical
historical DRM, the user is protected from attacks."
Though some have disagreed with W3C's decision to take EME to
recommendation, the W3C determined that the hundreds of
millions of users who want to watch videos on the Web, some of
which have copyright protection requirements from their
creators, should be able to do so safely and in a Web-friendly
way. In a vote by Members of the W3C ending mid September, 108
supported the Director's decision to advance EME to W3C
Recommendation that was appealed mid-July through the
[12]appeal process, while 57 opposed it and 20 abstained. Read
about [13]reflections on the EME debate, in a Blog post by W3C
CEO Jeff Jaffe.
[12] https://www.w3.org/2017/Process-20170301/#ACAppeal
[13] https://www.w3.org/blog/2017/09/reflections-on-the-eme-debate/
The use of streaming services has increased exponentially
across the globe. Hundreds of millions of users currently
benefit from EME in subscriber-based services like Netflix, and
others that offer viewing of encrypted video content.
About the World Wide Web Consortium
The mission of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is to lead
the Web to its full potential by creating technical standards
and guidelines to ensure that the Web remains open, accessible,
and interoperable for everyone around the globe. W3C standards
HTML5 and CSS are the foundational technologies upon which all
Web sites are built. For its work to make online videos more
accessible with captions and subtitles, W3C received a 2016
Emmy Award.
W3C's vision for "One Web" brings together thousands of
dedicated technologists representing more than 400 [14]Member
organizations and dozens of industry sectors. W3C is jointly
hosted by the [15]MIT Computer Science and Artificial
Intelligence Laboratory (MIT CSAIL) in the United States, the
[16]European Research Consortium for Informatics and
Mathematics (ERCIM) headquartered in France, [17]Keio
University in Japan and [18]Beihang University in China. For
more information see [19]https://www.w3.org/.
[14] https://www.w3.org/Consortium/Member/List
[15] http://www.csail.mit.edu/
[16] https://www.ercim.eu/
[17] http://www.keio.ac.jp/
[18] http://ev.buaa.edu.cn/
[19] https://www.w3.org/
End Press Release
Media Contact
Amy van der Hiel, W3C Media Relations Officer
<[20]w3t-pr@w3.org>
mailto:w3t-pr@w3.org
+1.617.253.5628 (US, Eastern Time)
__________________________________________________________
Testimonials from W3C members
[21]CableLabs • [22]Consumer Technology Association (CTA) •
[23]Microsoft Corporation • [24]Motion Picture Association of
America (MPAA) • [25]NBCUniversal (Comcast) • [26]Netflix •
[27]Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
CableLabs
As a member of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C),
CableLabs participated in the development of the Encrypted
Media Extensions (EME) recommendation – in collaboration
with other major W3C member companies – to help further its
goal of making the web a first-class platform for media and
entertainment. EME was developed with user security as a
major goal, while also focusing on improving user
experiences and facilitating seamless communication between
web browsers and software that allows playback of protected
content. CableLabs is glad to see EME achieve the status of
W3C recommendation.
Ralph Brown, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology
Officer
Consumer Technology Association (CTA)
The CTA WAVE Project congratulates the W3C for having
published EME as a full W3C Recommendation.
CTA WAVE firmly believes in the importance of EME to the
future of commercial video, an important contribution to the
future of the web that enhances:
* Interoperability—With EME, commercial video is encoded and
encrypted using open standards that are supported by
different browsers and decryption systems;
* Accessibility—EME allows the media industry to deliver
better and more interoperable accessibility features than
was feasible with previous closed media delivery platforms;
* Next generation media—EME will enable many small,
specialized providers to deliver commercial media over the
web, with the potential of transforming the entertainment
industry while continually expanding the horizons of the
web in the 21st century.
The first document from the WAVE Project, the [28]Web Media
API Snapshot 2017 specification, was recently released for
review within the Web Media API Community Group, and more
specifications and documents leveraging and citing the work
of W3C and other groups will follow soon. The Web Media API
Snapshot 2017 specification is built around the W3C standard
HTML5 video architecture, including Encrypted Media
Extensions (EME) when supporting encrypted video.
[28] https://w3c.github.io/webmediaapi/
CTA WAVE looks forward to continued collaboration with W3C
and other stakeholders to ensure the web remains a premiere
platform for enabling communication and innovation.
The CTA WAVE Project is an initiative by many of the most
influential names in video and audio, comprising
manufacturers, distributors, service and infrastructure
suppliers and over-the-top commercial internet video
providers to identify requirements and guidance on the use
of those specifications. More than 60 companies and 150
engineers are currently working on this effort.
CTA WAVE Project Steering Committee
Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft congratulates W3C on completing the Encrypted
Media Extensions Recommendation, and thanks Sir Tim
Berners-Lee for the hard work and leadership he provided to
bring it to conclusion. This, along with the publication of
the Media Source Extensions Recommendation, marks an
important milestone on the journey to leverage HTML5
standards to allow full-featured media playback in browsers
without plugins. By using HTML5, MSE, and EME, developers
can add video features using just standard formats and APIs,
and websites can count on browsers to deliver media without
having to support 3rd party plugins. Users can be confident
that their chosen media content is delivered in an
accessible, secure and privacy-respecting way.
Jason Weber, Director of Program Management, Web Platform R&D
Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)
Consumers today have access to more creative content across
more digital platforms than ever before. In 2016, the
American film and television industry released more than 700
movies and 400 scripted television shows. There are now over
130 lawful online sources for creative content in the United
States and 470 sources globally.
The Encrypted Media Extensions (EME) specification published
by W3C is a key building block for the secure and seamless
delivery of this content to audiences around the world. EME
advances a new generation of web-based content delivery with
improved user functionality, security, and privacy. The MPAA
appreciates the productive, collaborative work of the W3C
and its many stakeholders on this important advancement to
improve the consumer video experience.
Alex Deacon, Senior Vice President, Internet Technology
NBCUniversal (Comcast)
NBCUniversal is committed to bringing high-quality
entertainment to viewers across the globe in a trusted,
safe, and easy-to-use manner. We applaud the W3C's decision
on EME, which will help provide reliable and safe access to
the mechanisms used to access encrypted content, benefiting
creators and users alike.
Michael Wise, CTO Universal Pictures
Netflix
Integration of DRM into web browsers delivers improved
performance, battery life, reliability, security and privacy
to users watching their favorite TV shows and movies on
Netflix and other video services. We can finally say goodbye
to third-party plugins, making for a safer and more reliable
web.
We believe this technology has been greatly improved at the
W3C, where the world's experts on web technologies, web
security, privacy and accessibility could all shape the
outcome in an open process.
Mark Watson, Director, Streaming Standards
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
We congratulate W3C and its members for voting to publish
EME as a W3C Recommendation. This is a victory for common
sense - EME is already being deployed on the web and
implemented by most browsers. It allows the web to function
more seamlessly and efficiently while preserving the
necessary safeguards. It will ensure the optimal video
viewing experience. In short, the adoption of EME as a W3C
Recommendation will give users more of a great thing, and
will keep W3C at the forefront of innovation and web
standards. We applaud Sir Tim Berners-Lee and thank him for
his successful stewardship on this issue.
David Hughes, CTO, RIAA
Testimonials from related organizations
[29]ATSC • [30]IPTV Forum Japan
ATSC
The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC)
congratulates W3C on the publication of the Encrypted Media
Extensions (EME). ATSC is completing a suite of ATSC 3.0
standards to enable the next generation of over-the-air
terrestrial broadcasting and hybrid broadcast and broadband
services.ATSC 3.0 standards are based on Internet Protocol
and other web-based standards, including MPEG DASH and W3C
HTML5, as well as EME. Our A/360 Security and Content
Protection and A/344 Interactive Content standards both
incorporate EME. The security and content protection
capabilities made possible by EME provide important new
opportunities for Broadcasters to deliver new services to
the public.
Mark Richer, President, Advanced Television Systems
Committee, Inc.
IPTV Forum Japan
IPTV Forum Japan (IPTVFJ) sincerely congratulates that World
Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has published Encrypted Media
Extensions (EME) as a W3C Recommendation.
Since December 2014, IPTVFJ has been publicly offering the
“IPTVFJ STD-0013: Hybridcast Operational Guideline Version
2” standard which includes the technical specification for
Video on Demand (VOD) services with HTML5-capable TV sets.
EME is one of the key features in this standard.
IPTVFJ STD-0013 specifies the delivery method for
audio-visual content based on MPEG-DASH (Dynamic Adaptive
Streaming over HTTP) in detail. The method specified in this
standard can be used for live streaming as well as VOD.
Various features such as accessibility and privacy
protection are provided by the Web framework. IPTVFJ
recognizes (1) EME should be used to handle content securely
in the framework if needed and (2) thus EME allows to expand
applicability of IPTVFJ STD-0013 as much as possible. It is
the reason IPTVFJ adopted EME APIs promptly as the open
standard to be used in IPTVFJ STD-0013. Now IPTVFJ STD-0013
is being deployed to the actual Integrated
Broadcast-Broadband (IBB) services in Japan.
Jun Murai, Chief Director, IPTV Forum Japan
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[31]Translations | [32]W3C Press Release Archive
[31] https://www.w3.org/Press/Releases-2017#eme-recommendation
[32] https://www.w3.org/Press/
Received on Monday, 18 September 2017 14:35:05 UTC