Slew of entertainment, consumer electronics and technology companies pledge support for ISO MPEG REL.
A large number of entertainment,
consumer electronics and technology companies today pledged their support for
the nascent ISO MPEG REL digital rights management standard.
MPEG REL is a
vendor-neutral XML-based Rights Expression Language used to specify terms
and conditions for the authorized distribution and use of any digital content.
Its backers say it can be used not only in the entertainment industry, but also
by enterprises and individuals to enable the authorized distribution and
persistent protection of digital data and content. It is the first attempt by
the international standards body to come up with a digital rights management
standard.
Those pledging support included the
Motion Picture Association of America, Microsoft, the Recording Industry
Association of America, SAMSUNG Electronics, VeriSign and Warner Bros., among
others.
ISO said MPEG REL is the first in a set
of DRM industry standards. It is also working on standards for metadata, asset
identification and aspects of security, protection and trust management.
"If DRM technologies are going to
proliferate -- by helping ensure that creators are compensated and consumers can
use that content in legitimate ways -- broadly accepted industry standards for
interoperability are crucial," said Mike McGuire, research director with
GartnerG2's Media team. "The ISO MPEG REL standard is an important milestone for
the future of DRM and digital content delivery."
For more information or to view the actual spec, go here.
