From Webnoize today. One of the few times I've seen EPAC get a
mention.
July 13, 1999
news . industry . policy-law . organizations . delivery
SDMI Publicly Releases Portable Audio Device Specs
The Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI) today published its first specification, a voluntary, open standard description of security and functionality for portable digital audio devices.
Through a combination of enforcement and compromise, SDMI appears to have succeeded in establishing an ideal specification: one that allows a degree of consumer flexibility while putting in place sufficient barriers that deter piracy. The specification leaves room for content providers to add technological mechanisms that implement varying degrees of security.
However, the linchpin that will ultimately make the specification work, specifically a technological mechanism that identifies SDMI-compliant music, has not yet been established.
SDMI was formed last December by the Recording Industry Association of America and International Federation of the Phonographic Industry to determine security specifications for devices, software and digital music designed for delivery through any digital outlet, including Internet, cable broadband, digital satellite services, DVD-Audio and all others. About 110 music, consumer electronics and technology companies are collaborating in the effort.
Portables are essentially nothing more than small, light boxes of digital memory with user interfaces; there are no moving parts, and no use of external media for playback (like a CD or cassette), so music doesn't skip or distort when the player is jostled. Consumers use a computer to transfer MP3 digital audio files to a portable device.
AT&T researcher and Chairman of SDMI's Portable Devices Working Group Jack Lacy said that a consistent problem with the initiative has been communicating to the public that SDMI's purpose was never to mandate any particular audio or security technology format.
"SDMI will support MP3, AAC, EPAC, MS-Audio and any other compression technology," said Lacy. "SDMI was designed to produce a series of specs that any company can use to offer digital music and design new business models."
Thus, the specification contains definitions and implementation requirements for SDMI-compliant portable devices and complementary computer applications, but never discusses specific audio formats such as MP3. Instead, components discussed in the specification include:
computer applications that perform various tasks such as content import, music library management, playback and rights management;
portable devices and portable media that store protected content and play it back;
and a License Compliant Module layer that facilitates communication between applications, portable devices and portable media, and will ultimately be able to determine a music file's status with regards to compliancy.
Full text of the specification, as well as a list of relevant frequently asked questions, is available at the SDMI web site.
Besides working to secure copyright-protected content, Lacy said the specification will facilitate new sales models like "try before you buy," listenability for a limited period of time, paid subscriptions, or even renting to own.
According to SDMI Executive Director Leonardo Chiariglione, the inter-industry effort was based on two crucial but broad principles.
"One is that copyright must be respected," Chiariglione said. "Another is that this system will accept both protected and unprotected formats."
Attention to the two ideals let SDMI establish specifications that maintain the functionality consumers already enjoy with commercial music, while opening doors to secure and innovative new markets, Chiariglione said.
An SDMI-approved portable device may be switched by a consumer from a "phase one" operating mode to a "phase two" operating mode. In phase one, an SDMI-approved device will play any sort of audio file, whether security protected or not. In order to use the device to play SDMI-approved music files, the consumer will have to use the Internet to permanently "switch" their device to a phase two operating mode.
A phase two device will be able to play digital music offered by SDMI-supporting content producers, which will most likely include the Big Five major labels (EMI, Sony, Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group and BMG), who collectively control over 80% of the total music market.
Ideally, a phase two device will not play illegitimately distributed, SDMI-approved commercial music.
However, SDMI-approved music is different from music found on audio CDs currently in circulation (those manufactured since the format was introduced by Sony and Philips in 1982 up to the present). Such discs are called "legacy" product, and feature content burned to CD before any security mechanism could have been applied, that would brand the music SDMI-approved.
New SDMI-approved portables will not filter music files, such as MP3s, created from legacy CDs.
"Content from those sources will always be playable on SDMI-compatible devices, whether from MP3 or ripped directly from CDs," Lacy told Webnoize in a recent interview [see 7.30.99 The Webnoize Interview: Jack Lacy]
"That was a big move for the industry to understand."
An immediate goal of the recording industry is to begin releasing music CDs that add security measures, or minimally, tracking information -- a feat most likely accomplished using watermarking technologies. Such discs will be branded SDMI-compatible.
To date, no major music company has announced when SDMI-approved music will be available for consumers to download through the Internet.
While no security may be added to legacy content, SDMI is hopeful other characteristics of its specifications will discourage consumers from making and distributing multiple copies of music files. While consumers will still be able to "rip" music (copy a digital song from a CD) onto a personal computer or portable device, only four copies of a ripped file may be made. If more copies are needed, the original disc may be ripped again. Such measures could deter casual piracy.
Lacy said that the specific technology that switches a phase one device to a phase two device is the only aspect of SDMI's specification that will be mandated. No specific solution has yet been approved. According to SDMI, a number of large and small technology companies have submitted proposals; the initiative hopes to select a particular technology by August.
Security is an important enough issue to the recording industry that its trade association, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) tried to stop commercial release of Diamond Multimedia's first model of the Rio in October of last year, on grounds that the device promoted music piracy [see 10.9.98 RIAA Files Injunction Against Diamond Multimedia for MP3 Player. Earlier this year, a judge denied the RIAA an injunction against the Rio; last month, a federal court of appeals upheld that decision [see 6.16.99 Diamond Prevails Over RIAA in Rio Lawsuit].
Anticipating the specification, electronics manufacturers have been preparing devices so that they can be easily built to comply, thus preventing further delays in bringing the products to market.
Two days ahead of its self-imposed June 30 deadline, SDMI said it had adopted the specification publicly announced today [see 6.28.99 SDMI Releases Portable Audio Specs].
Between then and now, the specification has been under final technical review, and was ratified during the SDMI Plenary meetings in Los Angeles, held July 7-8.
Successful consumer markets for portable devices, and downloadable music in general, are largely dependent on the new specifications.
According to RioPort publisher and general manager J.D. Heilprin, security technology in the new Rio devices is part of a broader strategy that attacks the security fears of major labels. "By satisfying the concerns of major labels," Heilprin said, "this will give us access to content people really want."
No other commercially announced device has hit store shelves in the U.S. A first edition of Creative Labs' NOMAD device is scheduled to ship next week; devices from Toshiba, Samsung, Thomson and numerous start-ups are being made available as well.
In anticipation of the portable device specification, several of the Big Five record companies have begun laying the groundwork for their digital delivery strategies.
Earlier today, Sony Corporation of America and Time Warner Inc., announced they would each acquire 37% of online retail web site CDnow, and that they plan to offer downloadable music on the site [see 7.13.99 Sony and Time Warner Merge Ecommerce Operations, Acquire CDnow].
Last month, Sony Music announced a partnership with Microsoft that calls for the music company to make music from its catalog available for download and purchase in Microsoft's Windows Media format [see 5.12.99 Microsoft and Sony Pair for Downloads, Promotions].
Universal Music and BMG are working with AT&T, Matsushita, InterTrust and others to develop and test a secure online delivery system for digital music [see 5.26.99 AT&T, BMG and Matsushita Join Universal's Digital Team].
In June, EMI Recorded Music announced it had taken an equity stake in Liquid Audio, pledging to use Liquid's technology to encode music for distribution on the Internet [see 6.21.99 EMI Takes Stake in Liquid Audio; In Music Encoding Deal].
Prior to that, EMI took an equity stake in custom CD compilation company musicmaker.com, a deal that calls for EMI to make music from its entire catalog available for custom compilation CDs and eventually, for digital Internet distribution [see 6.10.99 EMI Takes Stake in musicmaker.com; Licenses Music Catalog].
|
