NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] Adobe's new Flash DRM comes with selective output control
----- Forwarded message from Dave Farber <dave@farber.net> ----- Date: Wed, 12 May 2010 10:42:48 -0400 From: Dave Farber <dave@farber.net> Subject: [IP] Adobe's new Flash DRM comes with selective output control Reply-To: dave@farber.net To: ip <ip@v2.listbox.com> Begin forwarded message: > From: Richard Forno <rforno@infowarrior.org> > Date: May 12, 2010 9:12:31 AM EDT > To: List Infowarrior <infowarrior@attrition.org> > Cc: Farber Dave <dave@farber.net> > Subject: Adobe's new Flash DRM comes with selective output control > > Adobe's new Flash DRM comes with selective output control > > By Chris Foresman | Last updated about 14 hours ago > > http://arstechnica.com/media/news/2010/05/adobes-new-flash-drm-comes-with-selective-output-control.ars > > Adobe has rejiggered its DRM software for the Flash platform, combining > a number of access control features under the rubric of Flash Access > 2.0. The new platform can give content providers all sorts of ways to > offer media content securely, including controlling what type of output > devices can display the content—in effect, Adobe it enabling HDCP and > broadcast control flags for Flash content. > > Adobe is touting the revised Flash Access platform as a way for content > providers to reach the widest possible audience (assuming those content > providers don't want to provide content for the 86 million iPhone OS > devices out in the wild) and serving as an easy add-on to its Flash > Media Server product. With a new SDK, it can also be integrated with > secure downloads and what Adobe is calling HTTP Dynamic Streaming, which > is essentially Apple's proposed HTTP Live Streaming standard with an > XML-based manifest file (instead of a plain-text playlist file) and > which so far only works with Flash Player or Adobe AIR. > > If serving secure content to Flash clients only seems like a good > business model, however, then you'll probably be glad to know that > Adobe has also baked selectable output control right in to Flash Access > 2.0. This allows content providers to "specify whether output > protection technologies are required to output to external devices." A > variety of digital and analog output protection technologies are > currently supported, including HDCP, CGMS-A, and Rovi (aka Macrovision) > ACP. While Adobe plans to bring support to all platforms, currently the > output controls are only available on Windows. However, such controls > could limit your ability to connect your connect your computer to a > projector or other external display to view secure Flash content. > > If there was anything that could possibly make Flash less desirable > from a user's perspective, the addition of the worst of draconian DRM > capabilities would have to be it. Output control is purely optional, but > we suspect that some content providers won't be able to resist the > temptation to use it now that it's available. Adobe and/or content > providers will likely face some serious blowback if secure Flash > content—which probably had to be paid for—suddenly won't play on the > numerous non-HDCP displays currently in use. ------------------------------------------- Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/ Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com ----- End forwarded message -----