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W3C abandons consensus, standardizes DRM, EFF resigns

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Re: W3C abandons consensus, standardizes DRM, EFF resigns

#41
post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We should simply start doing new standards through other organizations. There's no fundamental reason to float new standards through W3C rather than some other organization.

I'm completely confused why the W3C is relevant at all. This already did happen, the browsers created the WHATWG. Since the browser vendors' opinions are the only ones that matter, why do we care what W3C thinks?

Maybe W3C is trying to stay relevant?

Re: W3C abandons consensus, standardizes DRM, EFF resigns

#42

We are allowing large corporations to dictate and push the web toward a closed system. A future where there has to be an App for that, and if you don't keep your head down you will be censored and cutoff from the rest of the online world.

Hogwash, there is more open source software now then ever before.

Re: W3C abandons consensus, standardizes DRM, EFF resigns

#43

I'm a bit uneducated when it comes to the cryptography involved, but I'm wondering why people here are so determined DRM can't ever work? Is it because someone will somehow get a copy and upload to torrents/streaming sites which of course won't have DRM. Thus only potentially annoying legitimate (eg. Netflix) users? Or are there other concerns?

The argument is essentially that in order for you to enjoy the content, the content must be present unencrypted at some point before it hits your eyes and ears. Because of this, it should always be theoretically possible to extract the unencrypted content at that point.

Re: W3C abandons consensus, standardizes DRM, EFF resigns

#44

I'm a bit uneducated when it comes to the cryptography involved, but I'm wondering why people here are so determined DRM can't ever work? Is it because someone will somehow get a copy and upload to torrents/streaming sites which of course won't have DRM. Thus only potentially annoying legitimate (eg. Netflix) users? Or are there other concerns?

[deleted]

Re: W3C abandons consensus, standardizes DRM, EFF resigns

#45

I'm a bit uneducated when it comes to the cryptography involved, but I'm wondering why people here are so determined DRM can't ever work? Is it because someone will somehow get a copy and upload to torrents/streaming sites which of course won't have DRM. Thus only potentially annoying legitimate (eg. Netflix) users? Or are there other concerns?

By its very nature DRM of media content makes no sense. How can audio and video be delivered to the user without also allowing the user to save and distribute that content later? At some point, the content must be available in unencrypted form, even if that point is when the content is sent to the display, it can just be captured there.

Re: W3C abandons consensus, standardizes DRM, EFF resigns

#46

Who is this director exactly that forced this on one-sidedly? I guess he got something out of this. What a disgrace.

The Tim mentioned in the letter is Tim Berners-Lee. He's the overall Director of the W3C [0]

[0] https://www.w3.org/People/#timbl

Re: W3C abandons consensus, standardizes DRM, EFF resigns

#48

Shame, shame, shame. We're losing the internet day by day, if we haven't done so already. I've seen people and posts here and there calling for attention on these issues, but imho it's all too subtle. We should start using harsher terminology for what's actually happening. This is flat out CORRUPTION, and I'm not seeing anyone express it as such. It's probably too late already, and unfortunately, this is merely a ref…

How come we don't know WHO sold us out for that beach house?

Re: W3C abandons consensus, standardizes DRM, EFF resigns

#49

I'm a bit uneducated when it comes to the cryptography involved, but I'm wondering why people here are so determined DRM can't ever work? Is it because someone will somehow get a copy and upload to torrents/streaming sites which of course won't have DRM. Thus only potentially annoying legitimate (eg. Netflix) users? Or are there other concerns?

Cryptogtaphically speaking, what is DRM. We want to give an untrusted user access to content, so that they can see it, without giving them access to the content, so they cannot copy it. This is simply impossible in theory. In practice, we can make copying it difficult, possibly resorting to hardware support (so decryption happens in the monitor) and rely on the DMCA to make any attempts to break DRM illegal. Of course non of these solutions actually work in theory; and the farther down the arms race we go, the more annoying it gets to legitimate users.

Re: W3C abandons consensus, standardizes DRM, EFF resigns

#50
post #28
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is really the issue. If we could convince media rightsholders that DRM is harmful and unnecessary then all of this heartache wouldn't be necessary. I don't expect this to happen in my lifetime. Any slight glimmer of hope from Apple ditching DRM on iTunes has died as nobody else shows the slightest interest in following their lead.

It seems self-evidently unharmful, in that we appear to be in a golden era of delivering content online so extraordinary that it threatens traditional television networks. I understand that this is an extremely unpopular sentiment on HN, but here goes: at least with respect to video content, the industry seems to have largely proven DRM concerns unfounded. Update: modulo the Hickson concerns below. Continuing: DRM ce…

There is an argument that there wouldn't necessarily be that much less content online. If your options are either deliver DRM free content or leave money on the table from the gigantic streaming media boom then it's hard for companies to ignore potential profits.

The problem with DRM is that it gave them a way to have their cake and eat it too, at the expense of the general public. Every time you have to use a shitty half baked interface to select your movie/TV show (I'm looking at you, Netflix and Amazon) you can thank DRM.

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