The “Rights Stuff” Digital Rights Management

The “Rights Stuff” Digital Rights Management

Robby RobsonPresident, Eduworks Corporation

Chair, IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee

rrobson@eduworks.com

My BackgroundMy Background• Eduworks

– Help organizations design and implement e-Learning strategy and technology

– Help vendors understand e-learning market and design products

– Work in standards

• Personal– Recovering academic (mathematics, education

reform, academic administration)– Not a lawyer

• Know about DRM through work with standards, clients, and research projects

Conversation OutlineConversation Outline• Digital Rights Management (What is it?)• Ten Challenges of DRM

1. Enforcement2. Heterogeneous Content3. Heterogeneous Application Domains4. The Legal Landscape5. Complex Technology6. Complex Content7. Federated Repositories8. Services and Distribution9. Standardization10.DRM as Part of an Overall Content Strategy

• Rights Expression Languages• Discussion

Digital Rights ManagementDigital Rights Management

DIGITAL CONTENT

PRODUCEDSTOREDDISTRIBUTED

RETRIEVED &

COMBINEDUSED

Digital Rights Management is the process of defining, tracking and enforcing permissions and conditions through electronic means and throughout the content lifecycle.

NOTE: Definitions of DRM often emphasize enforcement, but enforcement is only part of the picture.

Permissions and ConditionsPermissions and Conditions• Rights define what you are permitted to do with digital content

• Conditions define when and under what circumstances you can do it

• Example: – Permission: You may use software– Condition: Provided you have paid for the license.

• Example: – Permission: A user may download a PDF file– Condition: Provided the user is an association member– Condition: And the user does not re-distribute the file

• Example:– Permission: You may use my joke in your presentation– Condition: You tell it well– Condition: You give me credit

Rights EnforcementRights Enforcement

•Rights are legal, ethical and moral constructs.

•People, not software, grant rights.•Technology enforces rights by permitting and

denying actions (view, print, copy, edit, etc.) •Example

– An application won’t run unless a license key is provided.

•Example– A PDF file produced so it can be viewed but not printed

•Example– Content will not be delivered unless a valid identifiers

are provided and verified for all cited references.

Rights ExpressionRights Expression

• Technology must know what permissions to enforce and what conditions to check

• Rights Expression Languages provide a standardized way for permissions and conditions to be expressed in a machine (and human) readable form.

• Rights Expression Languages serve other purposes as well

AssumptionAssumption

There are reasons and requirements to express and

enforce conditions and permissions

ChallengesChallenges

Challenge #1: EnforcementChallenge #1: Enforcement• Authentication and Authorization

– Of people (and agents and services)– Of object (e.g., through digital

watermarks)

• Prevention and Protection– Through software and hardware keys

(e.g., e-books, Palladium, etc.)

• Enforcement through the justice system

• Enforcement is NOT the topic of this presentation

Challenge #2: Heterogeneous Content Challenge #2: Heterogeneous Content

• Content Runs on Many Platforms– Windows, Unix, Mac, Internet, Intranet

• Content Comes in Many Formats– Text, Video, Audio, e-Books, PDF,

Flash, Windows Media, MP3, etc.

RequirementsRequirements

• Requirement: means of expressing and managing rights that– Is persistent– Works with heterogeneous content– Is platform independent

Challenge #3: Heterogeneous Application Domains

Challenge #3: Heterogeneous Application Domains

• Heterogeneous Stakeholders– Authors, Publishers, Distributors,

Consumers

• Heterogeneous Cultures & Communities– Education and Training– Private, Public, not for profit– Linguistic and Political– Specialized Communities of Practice

RequirementsRequirements

• Requirement: means of expressing and managing rights that– Is persistent– Works with heterogeneous content– Is platform independent– Is locally adaptive yet globally authoritative

Challenge # 4: The Legal LandscapeChallenge # 4: The Legal Landscape

• Copyright– Changes over time– Differs from country to country– Was meant for something else

• Patents– Apply to intellectual property– Apply to DRM technology

1790 1831 1870 1909 1976 20031998

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Verbatim use of Author’s works

All Works of Authorship – Literary, Dramatic, Music

Derivative Works, Works of Art

Digital age … lot’s going on

Fair Use

Doctrine of First SaleBerne

Convention (Inter-national)

U.S. joins Berne Conven-tion

1886

1988

TEACHAct

2002Computer Software Rental Amend-ments

1990

Musical Recor-dings1971

DMCA

1998

DatabaseProtectionLegislation

19961976

Sony BonoAct1998

CopyrightTimeline

Example: The TEACH ActExample: The TEACH Act

• Technology, Education and Copyright Harmonization Act

• The TEACH Act grants and exemption – ONLY to accredited non-profit educational

institutions – ONLY for the online equivalent of displays and

performances that are shown as part of a class under instructor supervision

• THE TEACH Act requires– Institutions to have and follow copyright policies– Institutions to use technological protection against

unauthorized, unintended and illegal use

Copyright DiversityCopyright Diversity

• In the former British Colonies:– Assignable– Fair use and “work made for hire”

• On the European Continent– Right of the author

• Different in Asia• The fundamental act of

transmitting and processing data is copying

PatentsPatents• Enforcement Technology is patented• Cryptographic techniques are patented• DRM is subject to patents

– ContentGuard• Association of usage rights to content. • A grammar to define rights or conditions. • Persistent protection. • Distribution of composite digital content. • Fee accounting and reporting associated with

the distribution or use of content.– InterTrust (now Sony)

• Standards may be subject to “Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory (RAND)” patents

Challenge #5: Complex TechnologyChallenge #5: Complex Technology

• Interactions with – Content Management Systems– Integrated Library Systems– Learning Management Systems– Authoring Environments

A Functional Model of e-Learning ApplicationsA Functional Model of e-Learning Applications

Content Authoring

Tools

Catalog Manager

Content Assembly

Tools

Learner Registrar

Delivery Environment

Content Repository

andOffering Catalog

Learning Planner

CollaborativeEnvironment

Learner Profile

Manager

Activity Info

Offerings

Register Info

Register Info

Offerings

Goals

Plans

Plans

Register Info

Register Info

Activity Info

Assessment / TestingEngine Results Info

Register InfoAssessmentObjects

Learning Offerings

Learning Objects

RecordedEvents

Learning Objects

Learning Objects

Source: e-Learning Application Infrastructure by Geoff CollierCopyright: SUN Microsystems, Inc

RequirementsRequirements

• Requirement: means of expressing and managing rights that– Is persistent– Works with heterogeneous content– Is platform independent– Is locally adaptive yet globally authoritative – Fits into existing technology environments

Challenge #6: Complex ContentChallenge #6: Complex Content

• E-learning and E-knowledge content– Repurposed, Authored and Assembled– Aggregated and Disaggregated– Roll-based delivery & tracking

• Aggregated Content– Different Rights for Different parts

• Roll-based Delivery– Different Rights for Different rolls

LCMS and/or REPOSITORY

E-learning & E-Knowledge Content

E-learning & E-Knowledge Content

Existing Content

Learning Content Authoring Tools

Learning Content Authoring Tools

Chunk

Create

Repurpose

Assemble

LearningCatalog

LearningCatalog

LMS

Import

Find

Track

Deliver

© Eduworks Corporation, 2002

RequirementsRequirements

• Requirement: means of expressing and managing rights that– Is persistent– Works with heterogeneous content– Is platform independent– Is locally adaptive yet globally authoritative – Fits into existing technology environments– Is compatible with existing standards

Challenge # 7: Federated Repositories and SearchesChallenge # 7: Federated Repositories and Searches

• Repositories have two parts– Content– Metadata (descriptions of content and

pointers to the content)

• Repositories are combined by– Harvesting and combining metadata– Harvesting and combining content– Searching multiple repositories at once

• Where and how are rights managed?

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RequirementsRequirements

• Requirement: means of expressing and managing rights that– Is persistent– Works with heterogeneous content– Is platform independent– Is locally adaptive yet globally authoritative – Fits into existing technology environments– Is compatible with existing standards– Works in highly distributed settings

Challenge # 8: Services and Attribution

Challenge # 8: Services and Attribution

• Web Services– Different view of the world– Access and use of services as

important as access and use of objects

• Attribution– Intellectual Property is about

attribution as well as money

RequirementsRequirements

• Requirement: means of expressing and managing rights that– Is persistent– Works with heterogeneous content– Is platform independent– Is locally adaptive yet globally authoritative – Fits into existing technology environments– Is compatible with existing standards– Works in highly distributed settings– Applies beyond traditional content– Is a true standard– Supports organizational content strategies

Challenge #9: StandardizationChallenge #9: StandardizationLevel Pros Cons Total CostsOrganizational Does exactly

what you wantHard to maintain

Self lock-in

High MaintenanceHigh Switching

Product or vendor based

Vendor does heavy lifting

Does most of what you want

Locked in to the platform

Locked out of everything BUT the platform

Lower MaintenanceHigh Switching

Standards based

Not locked inCan share easily

Standards only address basic functionality

Low MaintenanceLow Switching

Standards For ContentStandards For Content• Metadata Standards

– MARC and Dublin Core in the Library Communities– ONIX and DOI in the Book & Publishing Communities– Learning Object Metadata in e-Learning

• Searching Standards– Z39.50 and ZING in the Library Communities– OAI in the Digital Library Community– XPath, XQuery etc. in the enterprise technology

community• Digital Rights Expression Languages

– MPEG-21– ODRL

• Learning Technology Standards– Sharable Content Object Reference Model– IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee– Aviation Industry CBT Alliance– Various MPEG Standards– Etc.

RequirementsRequirements

• Requirement: means of expressing and managing rights that– Is persistent– Works with heterogeneous content– Is platform independent– Is locally adaptive yet globally authoritative – Fits into existing technology environments– Is compatible with existing standards– Works in highly distributed settings– Applies beyond traditional content– Is a true standard

Challenge #10: DRM As Part of an Overall Content Strategy

Challenge #10: DRM As Part of an Overall Content Strategy

• Organizations Develop Content Strategies to – Gain efficiency through uniform policies– Improve workflows by providing a common

understanding of the structure of content– Exchange of content with other organizations– Inform acquisition of content– Inform internal and external content creation– Guide management, workflow and technology

decisions

Content Strategy ComponentsContent Strategy Components

• Business and Service Goals• Content Models• Technology Reference Models• Internal and external policies

And

• Rights Management

Reference Models and Content Models

Reference Models and Content Models

A reference model• Gathers and

documents specifications and best practices

• Is concrete enough to show the way

• Is general enough to open the way

A content model• Defines an

organization’s content building blocks

• Defines objects and how they fit together

• Helps define the content development workflow

An Instructional Design Based Learning Content Model*

An Instructional Design Based Learning Content Model*

ContentAsset

Learning Component*

LearningEnvironment

text

animation

Audio

illustration

principle

concept

procedure

Objective Practice Assess

Components

Databases

Communications

Web

Serv

ices

Communities

eLearning

Knowledge Management

C o n t e x t a n d C o m p l e x I t y

R e u s a b i I I t y_

+

*A case study, a course, a program of study, performance tools, a curriculum, a competency, and so on

InformationObject

LearningObject

*Source:

Learnativity

RequirementsRequirements

• Requirement: means of expressing and managing rights that– Is persistent– Works with heterogeneous content– Is platform independent– Is locally adaptive yet globally authoritative – Fits into existing technology environments– Is compatible with existing standards– Works in highly distributed settings– Applies beyond traditional content– Is a true standard– Supports organizational content strategies

Rights Expression LanguagesRights Expression Languages

A Key IdeaA Possible Solution

LEARNING CONTENT RIGHTS MANAGEMENT CYCLE

LEARNING CONTENT RIGHTS MANAGEMENT CYCLE

DIGITAL CONTENT

PRODUCED

RIGHTS ATTACHED

VIA REL

DIGITAL CONTENT

DELIVERED

DIGITAL RIGHTS

ENFORCED

Digital Rights StandardsDigital Rights Standards

• DRM standards are being developed on an international level

• Foremost among these are activities taking place within the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) under ISO

– Working on comprehensive set of DRM interoperability standards

– Furthest progressed towards standardization– Most likely to be adopted by product vendors

and content producers

The MPEG Rights Expression LanguageThe MPEG Rights Expression Language

•MPEG REL creates digital “licenses” that–Record and express permissions and conditions–Express conditions for issuing new licenses

•Applications can read, write and enforce permissions and conditions in a standard way

•Only “positive” rights are expressed

• As content moves from system to system, licenses generate a “virtual paper trail” documenting organizational diligence and adherence to laws and agreements

MPEG-21 REL : GRANTS AND LICENCESMPEG-21 REL : GRANTS AND LICENCES

RightRight

Grant

ResourceResource

PrincipalPrincipal

ConditionsConditions

RightRight

Grant

ResourceResource

PrincipalPrincipal

ConditionsConditions

RightRight

Grant

ResourceResource

PrincipalPrincipal

ConditionsConditions

License

IssuerIssuer attributesattributes

Source:

ContentG

uard

Distribution and Usage LicencesDistribution and Usage Licences

Distributor ConsumerContentOwner

Distr.License

Distr.License

UsageLicense

UsageLicense

grant issue grant up to max count

grant play content for 30 days

Source:

ContentG

uard

(Continued) Discussion(Continued) Discussion

Robby RobsonEduworks Corporation

rrobson@eduworks.com