Re: [libreplanet-discuss] DRM in HTML5

[Thomas Harding]

Le 18/03/2013 21:30, d.dn a écrit :
> Hi all,
>
> HTML5 will be a pressure to which the free Software will be confronted,
> but expect to see the results of the work of the W3C, and seeing the
> guidelines that will be taken.
Considering DRM as "an obligation", the only way such a DRM would be 
acceptable in a W3 standard would a public domain or at option published 
as Free Software, not impaired by any patent algorithm.

In addition, that kind of DRM would be based on a key pair owned not by 
licensor of content but the person who reads content, with ability to 
the last to register on any place she wants.

But is really any DRM needed?

The question is that DRM, regarding publication (generally speaking), is 
a *new restriction*.

That kind of restriction came with videocassetes (with exceptions as the 
mirror writing from Da Vinci and various cypher models, never intended 
to protect content from copy by the public but for privacy or secret).

Moreover, any kind of DRM would be inefficient at short term (cryptology 
is a sport for numerous human beings), and in case of efficient and 
unbreakable, will impair the future of that content more than celluloïd 
and acid paper did. Who loose? Humanity. Who gain? A few enterprises, 
short term.

A regular offer with reasonable fees is a better answer than DRM : most 
of publication costs has been due to physical copy (with many losses, eg 
for printing) and distribution. These costs has dramatically decreased 
with dematerialization... with no effect on customer : just compare a 
longlplaying price to 15 songs downloaded as regular offer!

Publishers are greedy. They want more. They want longer. They want if 
possible forever, and they want Fair Use to disppear.

DRM is unfair publishing.

It's a matter that Free Software (various) movements lobby now, or been 
part of W3C teams, and not only major companies.

A countervailing power is really needed where majors comercial companies 
has parazited a fair good organization, forgetting the real scope : 
interoperability  (remember canvas was aknowledged instead of svg, which 
for last has been for long a W3 project and for first a single company one).

--
T. Harding