Digital Rights Management
NetroMedia offers a full line of streaming media DRM processing.
This page will explain DRM and then provide some options available to you with this programming Microsoft has an excellent explanation point for DRM. You can find it here: Microsoft DRM explained..
As an experienced Content Delivery Network NetroMedia is responsible for the backbone of your DRM system. We help you make it as versatile and variable as you wish.
Here is a quick list of your DRM protection options offered by NetroMedia
Pay Per View (DRM) Package options / questions ...
1
Controls the number of plays that can occur with a valid license.
2
Controls the number of burns (CD copying) that can occur with a valid license.
3
The amount of times it can be transferred to other computers/people.
4
Secure Digital Music Initiative Transfers aka the amount of times a DRM Licensed file can be transferred to SDMI compliant devices (SDMI Compliance is a standard supported by many portable media players).
5
Controls whether the file can be saved or not - that can occur with a valid license.
6
Controls the length of time or the last (expiration) play date of a file with a valid license.
7
Similar to above but controls the length of time the media can be played after the first time with a valid license.
8
Controls the length of time a file can be stored / saved after access with a valid license.
9
Deletes the file if the RTC (real time clock) or “system clock” is rolled back.
a
Collaborative play means anything that played to something not considered personal use. i.e. a media encoder, for example streaming radio is considered collaborative play.
10
Disables the file if the RTC (real time clock) or “system clock” is rolled back.
11
Controls the start or first play date of a media file after access with a valid license.
12
People don’t have to pay for it for a given amount of time.
a
i.e. 3 days grace. You can download it, and watch it for 3 days, after that you will need a new license.
13
Verifies the security of the application and connections.
a
i.e. must be played through SSL.
What is DRM?
Digital Rights Management is commonly referred by its acronym DRM. DRM was set up as a system for the protection of digital works. This type of technology and system prevents users from doing things with content that the content providers do not wish them to do. DRM is any of several arrangements which allows a vendor of content in a digital form to control the material and restrict usage in various ways that can be specified by the vendor.
How does the technology work?
DRM works by allowing distributors of electronic information to control viewing access to content. Some form of encryption is needed to control access to content. Rights management solutions are based on a wrapper or container placed around a data file, which offers protection, sets the data life cycle and defines usage rules, payment and redistribution constraints. A license must be acquired to unlock the wrapper and get access to the content. Individual “keys” for viewing or listening to the content are provided to the end user who has purchased the rights which generally include limitations on copying, printing and redistribution. Content access can be configured in a number of ways.
Keys are the main way to grant access and are commonly given to the computer instead of the end user. People are allowed to buy the product and download it to their computer. While that is happening, a small file is also downloaded which contains the key to open the product such as an ebook or a song. The key is tied to the identity of the computers hardware. The key takes a unique identifier from the computer and gives it back to the owner. The unique identifier can be something the users CPU, serial number and something that cannot be easily changed by the user. Whenever the file is opened the unique key is looked for and if found, the file will open up. If the end user tries to give it to someone else then an error message is displayed and states that the valid license cannot be found and the program will not open.
All of the systems for DRM are based on the identification and recording of information about the copyright owners and about the copyright associated with the content. The use of metadata and rights management information (RMI) or Digital Object Identifiers (DOI) is used to manage this. Metadata is information that is held about a particular piece of content. They are commonly structured around a set of keywords and data categories. Metadata keywords are created when they are needed and names that actually make sense like . The most common protection given by DRM is through encryption and digital watermarking.
Encryption
Encryption is the process of scrambling information embedded within a digital object so that it can’t be used without a password or a unique key. This could include encoding the terms and conditions for which the material can be used. Use of the work is allowed only when the conditions of the key can be met. Most of the time, the embedded information includes Rights Management Information (RMI) about the object. RMI can include information such as the author, title, copyright information and the key. A license must be gotten first before access is granted to the key. Rights Expression Language (REL) can also be used in to RMI. REL allows the publisher to designate a more detailed and complex set of usage controls. It is a language that expresses the rights that the user has in relation to a particular file. REL’s tend to be about things that a computer can count like: time, units, and value exchange.
Watermarking
Digital watermarking embeds the information into data. Watermarks can either be visible or invisible. It helps to reduce the likelihood that someone will pass it on or try to make illegal copies.
Digital Object Identifier
To provide for interoperability a system needs to be in place for the users and copyright owners to be able to communicate with one another. Users and copyright owners can talk to themselves by using a Digital Object Identifier (DOI). A Digital Object Identifier is similar to an ISBN for a book and a digital identifier for any object of intellectual property. The digital object is allocated a number through a registration agency and metadata describing the digital object is recorded. One way that the DOI is very beneficial is that it provides a permanent, reliable link back to the content owner’s server. This ability of the DOI is a very powerful tool for DRM. The DOI can connect with the content even if the server or the website name changes. It will always point somewhere successfully even if the targeted URL has changed. DOI will always manage to find the content the end user is looking for. It basically provides a permanent link. The Digital Object Identifier can be embedded with confidence in the content’s secure wrapper at the beginning of publication. This object is able to identify a piece of content by a permanent number which never changes once it is assigned to the content. There will be no file not found errors. Information will be found with the help of Digital Object Identifiers. After that the process of using a key takes over.