HTML5 DRM Standard Is a Go (arstechnica.com)

Artem Tashkinov writes: The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the industry body that oversees development of HTML and related Web standards, has today published the Encrypted Media Extensions (EME) specification as a Recommendation, marking its final blessing as an official Web standard. Final approval came after the W3C's members voted 58.4 percent to approve the spec, 30.8 percent to oppose, with 10.8 percent abstaining. EME provides a standard interface for DRM protection of media delivered through the browser. EME is not itself a DRM scheme; rather, it defines how Web content can work with third-party Content Decryption Modules (CDMs) that handle the proprietary decryption and rights-management portion. The principal groups favoring the development of EME have been streaming media companies such as Netflix and Microsoft, Google, and Apple, companies that both develop browsers and operate streaming media services. Following the announcement, EFF wrote a letter to W3C director, chief executive officer and team, in which it expressed its disappointment and said it was resignation from the W3C.

Comments

Re:PSA: EME is not a DRM standard

[Kjella]

It's the "shelfless" generation... we had bookshelfs, LP shelfs, CD shelfs, DVD shelfs and having it has a physical object mattered. Then it was digital pack rats with MP3s and DivX ;-) movies. The current generation don't care as long as it plays right now on Spotify, Netflix and Steam. I'm not sure if they're right and we're wrong though, it's entertainment and it's not the size of your collection that matters. And they don't need us as a cultural archive, you might tell yourself that but almost anything of significance since the missing Doctor Who episodes is preserved. Remember that store that had rare, out of print stuff... yeah, that's not really how it works anymore unless it's an antique or artificially limited numbered edition.

I still think copyright is way too long, but I think I've become more nuanced on the "universe" and characters in it. Like if you make a movie it should go into the national archives and 20-30 years later that particular instance should be made free. But if George Lucas wants to make new Star Wars prequel/sequels then maybe he should have the exclusive right to that. What I don't like is when they try to use DRM to push some totalitarian agenda, but they haven't really tried lately. Haven't heard of any mass lawsuits, no saber rattling to outlaw torrents or private communication or three/six strike Internet death penalties without a trial lately. They're still taking down a few torrent sites but that's mostly for show, The Pirate Bay is still ranked at #87 on Alexa.

Oh and even UHD BluRays are getting hacked, Netflix 4K series/movies are also getting ripped. Pretty much everything is available if you got MadVR and don't want to play the DRM game. I doubt they really believe it themselves anymore, but admitting it's not going to work is admitting the emperor is naked. Not that the music industry collapsed after they started selling unencumbered MP3s, it's mostly a pet rock that keeps tigers away.