Applying DRM Techniques to Video on the Internet: Characterizing Problems and Solutions

Eric Grab

Digital distribution of media files via the public internet presents myriad legal, technological, sociological, economic, and moral implications. The digital music debacle begs the question: Is there a workable security solution tailored to the digital distribution paradigm? The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) has done little to promote a sensible and practical examination of the hot-button issue of digital rights management (DRM). In the post-Napster era, all major Hollywood studios are moving toward an internet protocol (IP)-based video-on-demand solution, and Vidius Inc. estimates 450,000 to 580,000 downloads of unprotected full-length films are transferred over the internet daily. The urgent need for a reasonable and workable approach to digital video security is underscored at every turn. An intelligent approach to digital rights management on the internet should address business and technological issues though a software-based, flexible, rapid-response security solution.

Print ISSN
Published
2002-04
Content type
Original Research
DOI
10.5594/J11566