As you can see there are many issues that will impact the adoption
of the Wireless Internet regardless of which protocol is
used or how cool the devices look. Some of these issues, such
as security and privacy, will be partially sorted out in the PC
world but mobility will add a layer of complexity that the Wired
Internet industry has not yet begun to tackle.
The dot.com era has certainly reminded us that no matter
how cool and interesting the technology, the talk will eventually
turn to how to make it profitable. Content that has value
must be protected from unauthorized use and copying.
Mobility will challenge how pricing can be structured, bills presented,
and revenue gathered in ways that do not inhibit trial
and adoption.
IT Certification CCIE,CCNP,CCIP,CCNA,CCSP,Cisco Network Optimization and Security Tips
DIGITAL RIGHTS MANAGEMENT
Digital Rights Management (DRM) focuses on methods of protecting
content from theft and unauthorized distribution.
DRM gives digital content publishers the ability to securely distribute
high-value content such as music, books, photos, and
videos in a manner that controls access and distribution. This
control is central to protecting the creator’s and publisher’s
ability to collect payments for their work.
The public has not only become used to the idea that anything
found on the Internet is free but many have also shown
that they will disregard copyright protection if it is convenient
to do so. Software piracy has been an issue since the advent of
the personal computer. Unauthorized music distribution via
Napster and similar programs has been one of the fastest growing
activities on the Web.
DRM is a system that controls and restricts access to the
content. Authorized users may be identified individually, as a
group, or even by the device used for access.
Content must first be encrypted or encoded to block unauthorized
access. When a file is downloaded or accessed, the
DRM software performs an identity check and decides if access
has been paid for and authorized. If the rule for payment has
been satisfied the software then “unlocks” or unencrypts the
file. The file may then be accessed and used within certain
parameters based on the arrangements made at time of payment.
User access rights may vary just as they do in the physical
world—video tapes may be rented and available for limited
time periods or purchased for viewing at will.
Some DRM systems lock content to a particular access
device and prevent the file from being copied or moved without
authorization. Each device must have a unique identity
code or serial number that is unchangeable and stays with the
device for its useful life.
Files can also be watermarked and digitally encoded with
information that identifies the authorized user and a record of
not only when the file was transferred but what rights were
granted to the user. Files that are illegally copied can be traced
back to the source that was given original access.
Some of the challenges that DRM must overcome include:
• Ease of use. DRM will require some type of client software on
the access device, and consumers may not be willing to adopt
any software that limits the use of content too severely.
• Persistent protection. Limitations may be placed on the length
of time or number of times a file is authorized for use. In
other words—the music you purchase digitally today may
have an authorization that expires after several years or a set
number of plays.
• Device and other sharing limitations. Consumers are used to
the right to give away or sell items that they have previously
acquired. DRM makes this difficult. Fair-use laws exist that
allow the purchaser to make copies of music or videos for
personal use (i.e., a consumer can purchase a CD and legally
make a copy to play in a Walkman tape player). DRM could
limit a consumer’s fair use of the content.
Consumers may insist on keeping the right to transfer ownership
to others in much the same way as they would other
licensed content. Books and CDs are examples of licensed
content that an individual can give away or sell after they are
no longer wanted. DRM may impair those ownership rights.
While DRM presents us with certain challenges it will also
create new and useful benefits.
• Sticky availability or hope for the cluttered. We all have those
friends who despite help and many items from the organizer
store have a unique ability to lose or “misplace” almost anything
of value. DRM would allow users to simply provide a
username and password (or perhaps fingerprint for those
with poor memory) and gain access to all the content they
have rights to even if the playback devices are all “hiding”
somewhere in the closet or under the bed. Imagine how
much peace and harmony could exist between teenage siblings
that no longer have to argue that the other borrowed
and lost their favorite CD/MP3/Movie/Game cartridge etc. A
Staggering thought indeed.
• Super distribution. One of the more interesting benefits of
DRM will be the possibility of super distribution. Super distribution
is the ability to transfer content from person to person
in a digital format while accounting for payments back to
the publisher.
An example would be a user who has paid for and downloaded
a music file; another person wanting that file could
transfer payment information and authorization back to the
network DRM system and receive an authorized password
allowing the receipt of the file from the friend’s device. The
person who originally downloaded the file may be given a
small commission or credit in exchange for assisting the
authorized distribution of the file. In this system, it becomes
possible for a service provider to collect payment not for
delivering the content but for simply issuing authorization. 194
content from theft and unauthorized distribution.
DRM gives digital content publishers the ability to securely distribute
high-value content such as music, books, photos, and
videos in a manner that controls access and distribution. This
control is central to protecting the creator’s and publisher’s
ability to collect payments for their work.
The public has not only become used to the idea that anything
found on the Internet is free but many have also shown
that they will disregard copyright protection if it is convenient
to do so. Software piracy has been an issue since the advent of
the personal computer. Unauthorized music distribution via
Napster and similar programs has been one of the fastest growing
activities on the Web.
DRM is a system that controls and restricts access to the
content. Authorized users may be identified individually, as a
group, or even by the device used for access.
Content must first be encrypted or encoded to block unauthorized
access. When a file is downloaded or accessed, the
DRM software performs an identity check and decides if access
has been paid for and authorized. If the rule for payment has
been satisfied the software then “unlocks” or unencrypts the
file. The file may then be accessed and used within certain
parameters based on the arrangements made at time of payment.
User access rights may vary just as they do in the physical
world—video tapes may be rented and available for limited
time periods or purchased for viewing at will.
Some DRM systems lock content to a particular access
device and prevent the file from being copied or moved without
authorization. Each device must have a unique identity
code or serial number that is unchangeable and stays with the
device for its useful life.
Files can also be watermarked and digitally encoded with
information that identifies the authorized user and a record of
not only when the file was transferred but what rights were
granted to the user. Files that are illegally copied can be traced
back to the source that was given original access.
Some of the challenges that DRM must overcome include:
• Ease of use. DRM will require some type of client software on
the access device, and consumers may not be willing to adopt
any software that limits the use of content too severely.
• Persistent protection. Limitations may be placed on the length
of time or number of times a file is authorized for use. In
other words—the music you purchase digitally today may
have an authorization that expires after several years or a set
number of plays.
• Device and other sharing limitations. Consumers are used to
the right to give away or sell items that they have previously
acquired. DRM makes this difficult. Fair-use laws exist that
allow the purchaser to make copies of music or videos for
personal use (i.e., a consumer can purchase a CD and legally
make a copy to play in a Walkman tape player). DRM could
limit a consumer’s fair use of the content.
Consumers may insist on keeping the right to transfer ownership
to others in much the same way as they would other
licensed content. Books and CDs are examples of licensed
content that an individual can give away or sell after they are
no longer wanted. DRM may impair those ownership rights.
While DRM presents us with certain challenges it will also
create new and useful benefits.
• Sticky availability or hope for the cluttered. We all have those
friends who despite help and many items from the organizer
store have a unique ability to lose or “misplace” almost anything
of value. DRM would allow users to simply provide a
username and password (or perhaps fingerprint for those
with poor memory) and gain access to all the content they
have rights to even if the playback devices are all “hiding”
somewhere in the closet or under the bed. Imagine how
much peace and harmony could exist between teenage siblings
that no longer have to argue that the other borrowed
and lost their favorite CD/MP3/Movie/Game cartridge etc. A
Staggering thought indeed.
• Super distribution. One of the more interesting benefits of
DRM will be the possibility of super distribution. Super distribution
is the ability to transfer content from person to person
in a digital format while accounting for payments back to
the publisher.
An example would be a user who has paid for and downloaded
a music file; another person wanting that file could
transfer payment information and authorization back to the
network DRM system and receive an authorized password
allowing the receipt of the file from the friend’s device. The
person who originally downloaded the file may be given a
small commission or credit in exchange for assisting the
authorized distribution of the file. In this system, it becomes
possible for a service provider to collect payment not for
delivering the content but for simply issuing authorization. 194
PROTECTING CONTENT
Not all the security focus is on protecting the user of the
Wireless Internet; plenty of activity is aimed at protecting the
content that users are accessing. Much of the content initially
available over the Wireless Internet has been that which is available
on the fixed Internet—free but not always of great value.
Studies show that Wireless Internet users are not eager to
pay for the same content they can get for free on a PC. A large
opportunity does exist to deliver content that users would be
willing to pay for, but methods of securing this content are
needed. In a physical distribution world the methods of protection
are clear—pay for it and they let you leave the store
with it. What you do with it after that is typically up to you.
Wireless Internet; plenty of activity is aimed at protecting the
content that users are accessing. Much of the content initially
available over the Wireless Internet has been that which is available
on the fixed Internet—free but not always of great value.
Studies show that Wireless Internet users are not eager to
pay for the same content they can get for free on a PC. A large
opportunity does exist to deliver content that users would be
willing to pay for, but methods of securing this content are
needed. In a physical distribution world the methods of protection
are clear—pay for it and they let you leave the store
with it. What you do with it after that is typically up to you.
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
The right to privacy online is linked essentially to one’s ability
to control disclosure of personal identity. This ability to control
access to your identity is easy in the physical world: We not
only decide who we interact with but our personal details are
not often in danger of exposure during simple activities such as
walking around town. We normally do not even provide our
names unless requested (unless at a conference where no one
seems to mind wearing name tags with our personal and company
info for all to see). In the Internet the opposite is true—
almost anyone willing to invest a little bit of effort can easily
uncover the digital footprints left on any site you’ve visited at
any date in the past.
This ability to control and hide one’s identity is critical in
maintaining a society that is capable of protecting freedom of
expression. When government or other organizations decide
that simply visiting and viewing certain information sites is a
threat, the possibility of censorship takes away one of the most
important powers of the Internet—freedom of expression.
Individuals with differing political, religious, or lifestyle beliefs
can use the power of the Internet to protect and educate others
without the fear of censorship or punishment only if privacy
is allowed. The transparency of the Web can be unforgiving,
but never a complete picture of the whole story. Historical data
that shows mistakes in an individual’s past may not include
enough of the data needed to paint a true picture. (PS: Will
someone please tell the insurance company that the Ben and
Jerry’s Ice Cream wasn’t for me and that my increased weight
is really in error. They recorded my weight in kg instead of
pounds; besides, I really have been hitting the gym, I just
haven’t swiped my card every time, OK?) 191
to control disclosure of personal identity. This ability to control
access to your identity is easy in the physical world: We not
only decide who we interact with but our personal details are
not often in danger of exposure during simple activities such as
walking around town. We normally do not even provide our
names unless requested (unless at a conference where no one
seems to mind wearing name tags with our personal and company
info for all to see). In the Internet the opposite is true—
almost anyone willing to invest a little bit of effort can easily
uncover the digital footprints left on any site you’ve visited at
any date in the past.
This ability to control and hide one’s identity is critical in
maintaining a society that is capable of protecting freedom of
expression. When government or other organizations decide
that simply visiting and viewing certain information sites is a
threat, the possibility of censorship takes away one of the most
important powers of the Internet—freedom of expression.
Individuals with differing political, religious, or lifestyle beliefs
can use the power of the Internet to protect and educate others
without the fear of censorship or punishment only if privacy
is allowed. The transparency of the Web can be unforgiving,
but never a complete picture of the whole story. Historical data
that shows mistakes in an individual’s past may not include
enough of the data needed to paint a true picture. (PS: Will
someone please tell the insurance company that the Ben and
Jerry’s Ice Cream wasn’t for me and that my increased weight
is really in error. They recorded my weight in kg instead of
pounds; besides, I really have been hitting the gym, I just
haven’t swiped my card every time, OK?) 191
PERSONALIZATION GOES BOTH WAYS
Personal computers that access the Web open the door to
intrusion, but the Wireless Internet will likely produce more
valuable data because most devices can be tied to a person and
not just a household or fixed work location. The fact that content
destined for a wireless device is most often altered and filtered
to conform to smaller screens and limited navigation
provides even more specific data than PC surfing would generate.
A PC data trail may only show a visit to a Web directory
page that contains listings for entertainment; the wireless
device would likely go a level deeper and reveal that a user was
looking at listings for gambling entertainment. Location-based
services will also add another layer of very valuable information—
the history of exactly where you have been for how long.
Because technology and the data generated can be used for
legitimate purposes as well as abused, we will likely not see this
process of collection, storage, and analysis disappear. It may,
however, eventually come under the guidance of laws and regulation
that limit the potential for abuse.
Solving consumer privacy and security issues is key to
enabling growth of the Wireless Internet as applications
improve and become more personal. The current content
accessed most commonly via wireless devices is not very personal—
stock quotes, weather, general news, and the like. But
future applications will enable transactions and inquiries into
personal records like bank accounts and medical records—data
that is personal and damaging in the wrong hands.
Surprisingly, the U.S. constitution does not currently guarantee
privacy, unlike in Europe where the E.U. constitution
actually guarantees a level of privacy. Many other countries
have no similar laws, and in an online world where boundaries
blur, even the existing laws can be hard to enforce.
intrusion, but the Wireless Internet will likely produce more
valuable data because most devices can be tied to a person and
not just a household or fixed work location. The fact that content
destined for a wireless device is most often altered and filtered
to conform to smaller screens and limited navigation
provides even more specific data than PC surfing would generate.
A PC data trail may only show a visit to a Web directory
page that contains listings for entertainment; the wireless
device would likely go a level deeper and reveal that a user was
looking at listings for gambling entertainment. Location-based
services will also add another layer of very valuable information—
the history of exactly where you have been for how long.
Because technology and the data generated can be used for
legitimate purposes as well as abused, we will likely not see this
process of collection, storage, and analysis disappear. It may,
however, eventually come under the guidance of laws and regulation
that limit the potential for abuse.
Solving consumer privacy and security issues is key to
enabling growth of the Wireless Internet as applications
improve and become more personal. The current content
accessed most commonly via wireless devices is not very personal—
stock quotes, weather, general news, and the like. But
future applications will enable transactions and inquiries into
personal records like bank accounts and medical records—data
that is personal and damaging in the wrong hands.
Surprisingly, the U.S. constitution does not currently guarantee
privacy, unlike in Europe where the E.U. constitution
actually guarantees a level of privacy. Many other countries
have no similar laws, and in an online world where boundaries
blur, even the existing laws can be hard to enforce.
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