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HTML5 DRM Standard Is a Go (arstechnica.com)

Posted by msmash on from the done-deal dept.

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.

3 of 154 comments (clear)

  1. PSA: EME is not a DRM standard by squiggleslash · · Score: 5, Informative

    Every time EME comes up, a sizable number of Slashdotters announce they support it because "it's a DRM standard" and it means the end of plug-ins like Flash.

    It is not a DRM standard. It's a standard for communication with plug-ins, known in this standard as CDMs.

    And those plug-ins aren't like the old Netscape plug-ins, that worked (at the time) with every browser (except IE), with different versions only required for each CPU architecture and operating system combination. You won't be able to use your "Adobe DRM" plug-in for Edge under Firefox. In fact, every single browser, CPU, and operating system combination will require its own plug-in. Don't have one for your favorite browser? You're out of luck.

    This isn't a standard, it's a non-standard. It's actually worse than Flash.

    Shame on the W3C for adopting it.

    --
    You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    1. Re:PSA: EME is not a DRM standard by Squiddie · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The idea that you shouldn't be able to record a copy of anything that plays on your machine is ridiculous. I listen to internet radio, but if I wanted to record it, I could. Nobody else should be dictating what my machine does or does not do, except for me. I don't care if it's copyright infringement. This is a bigger tragedy than some studio "losing out on profit" because some teen recorded video or music. The idea that you were or were not supposed to do x with something on your machine is already an admission of defeat.

  2. Re:Don't call it a grave..... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    That'll work fine... up until nearly all content requires it. It WILL be extended beyond simple multimedia. There is already talk about using it to prevent adblockers and end-user avoidance of online tracking. That will not happen right away, because it has to be normalized first. But it will happen.

    This will eat the internet, in time. Wait, and watch. You'll see.