The Digital Media Project

  

Source

M. Springer

Title

Comments to Requirements for Interoperable DRM Platform and Interoperable End-user Devices

No.

040207chiariglione01

 

The contribution by Martin Springer raises a number of interesting issues. Here are some comments:

  1. TRUs should not be construed as evidence of the kind "because it was possible to do this in the past, so it shall be possible to do the same in the future". TRUs have the purpose of getting inspiration from what was done in the past, probably because it responded to some user needs, so that it can be designed in the system and be technically supported. The DMP has no authority to do this. Mandating free use of a TRU is within the scope of political power.

  2. In RQ #n the meaning of "DMP shall support the End-user's control of IEDs: Access of services/networks" is not clear. Does this mean that end-users should have the ability to choose the service and the network of their choice?

  3. In RQ #n the meaning of "DMP shall support the End-user's control of IEDs: Control of application software/operating system/cryptographic keys"  is not clear. Does this mean that end-users should have the ability to choose which application software/operating system/cryptographic keys to use?

  4. In RQ #n+1 the meaning of "DMP shall support Open (*) Standards for IEDs: Application and content formats/Application Programming Interfaces (API)/Codecs for audiovisual media and data formats/Network and Transport Protocols/Access Control Systems/Hardware specifications" is not clear. The meaning of support in 040205chiariglione01 and of RQ #n was in terms of functionality, here is interms of technology

  5. I do not understand why in RQ #n+2 there is "DMP shall support the documentation of IEDs: software source code (application software APIs, codecs of content formats, cryptographic algorithms, operating systems, compilers)/hardware (chipsets, connectors, manufacturing technology). Why I agree they are desirable, I do not see why these are RQs.

  6. Overall it is hard for me to see a connection between the quoted TRUs and the RQs.

The original table is reproduced below.

RQ#

Description

TRU#

n

DMP shall support the End-user's control of IEDs:

  • Access of services
  • Access of networks
  • Control of application software
  • Control of operating system
  • Control of cryptographic keys

n+1

DMP shall support Open (*) Standards for IEDs:

  • Application and content formats
  • Application Programming Interfaces (API)
  • Codecs for audiovisual media and data formats
  • Network and Transport Protocols
  • Access Control Systems
  • Hardware specifications

n+2

DMP shall support the documentation of IEDs:

  • Software source code
    • application software
    • APIs
    • codecs of content formats
    • cryptographic algorithms
    • operating systems
    • compilers
  • Hardware
    • chipsets
    • connectors
    • manufacturing technology

(*) The "openness" of a standard used by an IED could be defined as in the ETSI IPR Policy