7/19/00 - HITACHI: Decision to adopt memory card specification of Keitaide-Music digital music distribution system as MultiM
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JUL 19, 2000, M2 Communications - At its general meeting held in Taipei on June 12 and 13, the MultiMediaCard Association*1 (MMCA) agreed on the adoption of the Keitaide-Music*2 digital music distribution system memory card specification as a MMCA Application Note. This confirms the position of this specification as the standard for applications such as music distribution that require content protection.
Since November of last year, the MMCA has been engaged in drawing up a specification for Secure MultiMediaCards with built-in security functions, based on a joint proposal by Hitachi, Ltd., Infineon Technologies AG of Germany, and SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
Following three Task Oriented Group (TOG) meetings, and the March general meeting i n Barcelona, the specification was adopted as a MultiMediaCard Application Note at the Taipei general meeting. This Application Note can be downloaded from the MMCA Home Page.
As a next step, the MMCA plans to draw up a specification for a Secure MultiMediaCard provided with a generic secure command set for WAP (Wireless Application Protocol), e-commerce, and similar applications.
The Keitaide-Music system memory card specification adopted as an Application Note on this occasion is part of the memory card specification in the technical standard of the Keitaide-Music system for music distribution to mobile and PHS phones, jointly developed by SANYO Electric, Hitachi, and Fujitsu Limited, and announced in December of l ast year. This memory card is upward-compatible with existing MultiMediaCards, and provides a high level of security based on the UDAC-MB (Universal Distribution with Access Control - Media Base) general-purpose content protection technology jointly developed by the above three companies. The card itself has encryption/decryption functions, and is also provided with a TRM area*3 that allows license keys*4, etc., used in encryption/decryption to be stored in a secure area within the card.
A special feature of UDAC-MB is the implementation of user-friendly legal copying and legal playback when music or other digital content is distributed to memory cards, etc., and exchanged between users. "Super Distribution" content distribution*5 is achieved by distributing the license key and encrypted content separately. This technology conforms to the SDMI*6 technical standard established to coordinate technical specifications for protecting digital music distribution from illegal copying. Hitachi has already announced a 16-Mbyte MultiMediaCard with content protection based on this specification.
Notes:
1. MultiMediaCard Association (MMCA): The largest standardization body for small memory cards, comprising 80 companies as of June 16 including mobile phone equipment manufacturers. The MMCA was established in 1997, and is headquartered in Cupertino, California. Major member companies include Nokia Mobile Phones, LTD, Ericsson Mobile Communications AB, Motorola, Inc., Siemens AG, SANYO, Hitachi, Infineon Technologies AG, SanDisk Corporation, and SCM Microsystems, Ltd..
2. Keitaide-Music: A technical standard for a system that distributes music to mobile and PHS phones, developed jointly by SANYO Electric Co., Ltd., Hitachi, Ltd., and Fujitsu Limited. The Keitaide-Music standard is based on the UDAC-MB general -purpose content protection technology developed by the three companies, and comprises security guidelines, a protocol specification, a memory card specification, and a download and playback system specification. The Keitaide-Music Consortium was established in March 2000 to promote the use of this specification.
URL:http://www.keitaide-music.org/
3. TRM (Tamper Resistant Module): Tamper resistant technology physically and logically prevents internal analysis of, or tampering with, a semiconductor chip.
A tough and highly viscous coating may be applied to the inside of the chip, so that if the surface is peeled off, the internal circuitry will be totally destroyed, for example, or dummy wiring may be used. A TRM is a silicon area, or card area, formed or configured using this technology.
4. License key: Information whereby a key for unlocking encrypted contents is encrypted with a public key, etc., unique to the medium to which distribution is performed. The license key is purchased via a network, etc., or recorded in a MultiMediaCard by legal transfer. In playback, encrypted contents can only be decrypted after secure transfer to a legal decoder chip.
5. "Super Distribution" content distribution: The rights of the information provider and the convenience of the user are guaranteed by paying a fee for "using" content information rather than paying for "owning" it. This requires a protective container that can withstand electronic attacks and a protection mechanism using encryption.
6. SDMI (Secure Digital Music Initiative): A group formed in February 1999 to coordinate technology specifications for protecting digital music distribution from illegal copying, comprising more than 110 companies including content holders such as RIAA (Record Industry Association of America) together with hardware, software, and systems related companies. The SDMI has already published "SDMI Portable Device Specification Part 1 Version 1.0" which stipulates technical specifications for playback type portable players. URL:http://www.sdmi.org/
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