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Encrypted Media Extensions (EME), a mechanism by which HTML5 video providers can discover and enable DRM providers offered by a browser, has taken the next step on its contentious road to standardization. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the standards body that oversees most Web-related specifications, has moved the EME specification to the Proposed Recommendation stage.
The next and final stage is for the W3C's Advisory Committee to review the proposal. If it passes review, the proposal will be blessed as a full W3C Recommendation.
Ever since W3C decided to start working on a DRM proposal, there have been complaints from those who oppose DRM on principle. The work has continued regardless, with W3C director and HTML inventor Tim Berners-Lee arguing that—given that DRM is already extant and, at least for video, unlikely to disappear any time soon—it's better for DRM-protected content to be a part of the Web ecosystem than to be separate from it.
Berners-Lee argued that, for almost all video providers, the alternative to DRM in the browser is DRM in a standalone application. He also argued that these standalone applications represent a greater risk to privacy and security than the constrained, sandboxed environment of the Web. He acknowledges that DRM has problems, chiefly the difficulties it imposes for fair use, derivative works, and backups. He notes, however, that a large body of consumers don't appear overly concerned with these issues, as they continue to buy or subscribe to DRM-protected content.
-- submitted from IRC
(Score: 3, Insightful) by edIII on Wednesday March 22 2017, @09:06PM
+1000 upvotes as well
Netflix is my only exception, but I have a stand alone device that I can isolate on the network. I have to view it effectively as Netflix's equipment within my network and protect the rest of my network accordingly. All of that original content Netflix is creating? Available for torrenting as well. Which would defeat the convenience factor of Netflix, but also would be without DRM.
Hmmm, how many people out there are offering DRM free product? It's not zero, but it's not enough either. If I could have a system that was completely DRM free? Bye, bye Netflix. I'll still pay you, but I won't actually use you. Just your content without DRM. Ultimately, DRM is an external agent of the Corporate State within your own computing systems. That is intolerable, but put up with by many because of the engineered lack of choices.
No compromising. No settling. No blobs. No binaries. Absolute transparency. Absolute control. That is the only future for personal computing worth fighting for. It is diametrically opposed to DRM since it could never let DRM have more control than the true owner of the device.
If we have to sacrifice for awhile, so be it. Tim Berners-Lee has decided to compromise and that's unfortunate.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.