The “Rights Stuff” Digital Rights Management Robby Robson President, Eduworks Corporation Chair, IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee

My Background Eduworks –Help organizations design and implement e-Learning strategy and technology –Help vendors understand e-learning market and design products –Work in standards Personal –Recovering academic (mathematics, education reform, academic administration) –Not a lawyer Know about DRM through work with standards, clients, and research projects

Conversation Outline Digital Rights Management (What is it?) Ten Challenges of DRM 1.Enforcement 2.Heterogeneous Content 3.Heterogeneous Application Domains 4.The Legal Landscape 5.Complex Technology 6.Complex Content 7.Federated Repositories 8.Services and Distribution 9.Standardization 10.DRM as Part of an Overall Content Strategy Rights Expression Languages Discussion

Digital Rights Management DIGITAL CONTENT PRODUCED STORED DISTRIBUTED RETRIEVED & COMBINED USED Digital Rights Management is the process of defining, tracking and enforcing permissions and conditions through electronic means and throughout the content lifecycle. NOTE: Definitions of DRM often emphasize enforcement, but enforcement is only part of the picture.

Permissions and Conditions Rights define what you are permitted to do with digital content Conditions define when and under what circumstances you can do it Example: –Permission:You may use software –Condition:Provided you have paid for the license. Example: –Permission:A user may download a PDF file –Condition:Provided the user is an association member –Condition:And the user does not re-distribute the file Example: –Permission:You may use my joke in your presentation –Condition:You tell it well –Condition:You give me credit

Rights Enforcement Rights are legal, ethical and moral constructs. People, not software, grant rights. Technology enforces rights by permitting and denying actions (view, print, copy, edit, etc.) Example –An application won’t run unless a license key is provided. Example –A PDF file produced so it can be viewed but not printed Example –Content will not be delivered unless a valid identifiers are provided and verified for all cited references.

Rights Expression Technology must know what permissions to enforce and what conditions to check Rights Expression Languages provide a standardized way for permissions and conditions to be expressed in a machine (and human) readable form. Rights Expression Languages serve other purposes as well

Assumption There are reasons and requirements to express and enforce conditions and permissions

Challenges

Challenge #1: Enforcement Authentication and Authorization –Of people (and agents and services) –Of object (e.g., through digital watermarks) Prevention and Protection –Through software and hardware keys (e.g., e-books, Palladium, etc.) Enforcement through the justice system Enforcement is NOT the topic of this presentation

Challenge #2: Heterogeneous Content Content Runs on Many Platforms –Windows, Unix, Mac, Internet, Intranet Content Comes in Many Formats –Text, Video, Audio, e-Books, PDF, Flash, Windows Media, MP3, etc.

Requirements Requirement: means of expressing and managing rights that –Is persistent –Works with heterogeneous content –Is platform independent

Challenge #3: Heterogeneous Application Domains Heterogeneous Stakeholders –Authors, Publishers, Distributors, Consumers Heterogeneous Cultures & Communities –Education and Training –Private, Public, not for profit –Linguistic and Political –Specialized Communities of Practice

Requirements Requirement: means of expressing and managing rights that –Is persistent –Works with heterogeneous content –Is platform independent –Is locally adaptive yet globally authoritative

Challenge # 4: The Legal Landscape Copyright –Changes over time –Differs from country to country –Was meant for something else Patents –Apply to intellectual property –Apply to DRM technology

yr28 yr + 14 yr Extension 28 yr + 28 yr Extension 50 yr (75 for work for hire)Life Plus 70 Years Verbatim use of Author’s works All Works of Authorship – Literary, Dramatic, Music Derivative Works, Works of Art Digital age … lot’s going on Fair Use Doctrine of First Sale Berne Convention (Inter- national) U.S. joins Berne Conven- tion TEACH Act 2002 Computer Software Rental Amend- ments 1990 Musical Recor- dings 1971 DMCA 1998 Database Protection Legislation Sony Bono Act 1998 Copyright Timeline

Example: The TEACH Act Technology, Education and Copyright Harmonization Act The TEACH Act grants and exemption –ONLY to accredited non-profit educational institutions –ONLY for the online equivalent of displays and performances that are shown as part of a class under instructor supervision THE TEACH Act requires –Institutions to have and follow copyright policies –Institutions to use technological protection against unauthorized, unintended and illegal use

Copyright Diversity In the former British Colonies: –Assignable –Fair use and “work made for hire” On the European Continent –Right of the author Different in Asia The fundamental act of transmitting and processing data is copying

Patents Enforcement Technology is patented Cryptographic techniques are patented DRM is subject to patents –ContentGuard Association of usage rights to content. A grammar to define rights or conditions. Persistent protection. Distribution of composite digital content. Fee accounting and reporting associated with the distribution or use of content. –InterTrust (now Sony) Standards may be subject to “Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory (RAND)” patents

Challenge #5: Complex Technology Interactions with –Content Management Systems –Integrated Library Systems –Learning Management Systems –Authoring Environments

A Functional Model of e-Learning Applications Content Authoring Tools Catalog Manager Content Assembly Tools Learner Registrar Delivery Environment Content Repository and Offering Catalog Learning Planner Collaborative Environment Learner Profile Manager Activity Info Offerings Register Info Offerings Goals Plans Register Info Activity Info Assessment / Testing Engine Results Info Register Info Assessment Objects Learning Offerings Learning Objects Recorded Events Learning Objects Learning Objects Source: e-Learning Application Infrastructure by Geoff Collier Copyright: SUN Microsystems, Inc

Requirements Requirement: means of expressing and managing rights that –Is persistent –Works with heterogeneous content –Is platform independent –Is locally adaptive yet globally authoritative –Fits into existing technology environments

Challenge #6: Complex Content E-learning and E-knowledge content –Repurposed, Authored and Assembled –Aggregated and Disaggregated –Roll-based delivery & tracking Aggregated Content –Different Rights for Different parts Roll-based Delivery –Different Rights for Different rolls

LCMS and/or REPOSITORY E-learning & E- Knowledge Content Existing Content Learning Content Authoring Tools Learning Content Authoring Tools Chunk Create Repurpose Assemble Learnin g Catalog Learnin g Catalog LMS Import Find Track Deliver © Eduworks Corporation, 2002Eduworks Corporation

Requirements Requirement: means of expressing and managing rights that –Is persistent –Works with heterogeneous content –Is platform independent –Is locally adaptive yet globally authoritative –Fits into existing technology environments –Is compatible with existing standards

Challenge # 7: Federated Repositories and Searches Repositories have two parts –Content –Metadata (descriptions of content and pointers to the content) Repositories are combined by –Harvesting and combining metadata –Harvesting and combining content –Searching multiple repositories at once Where and how are rights managed?

DR Functional Model (Source: IMS Global Learning Consortium)

Requirements Requirement: means of expressing and managing rights that –Is persistent –Works with heterogeneous content –Is platform independent –Is locally adaptive yet globally authoritative –Fits into existing technology environments –Is compatible with existing standards –Works in highly distributed settings

Challenge # 8: Services and Attribution Web Services –Different view of the world –Access and use of services as important as access and use of objects Attribution –Intellectual Property is about attribution as well as money

Requirements Requirement: means of expressing and managing rights that –Is persistent –Works with heterogeneous content –Is platform independent –Is locally adaptive yet globally authoritative –Fits into existing technology environments –Is compatible with existing standards –Works in highly distributed settings –Applies beyond traditional content –Is a true standard –Supports organizational content strategies

Challenge #9: Standardization LevelProsCons Total Costs OrganizationalDoes exactly what you want Hard to maintain Self lock-in High Maintenance High Switching Product or vendor based Vendor does heavy lifting Does most of what you want Locked in to the platform Locked out of everything BUT the platform Lower Maintenance High Switching Standards basedNot locked in Can share easily Standards only address basic functionality Low Maintenance Low Switching

Standards For Content Metadata Standards –MARC and Dublin Core in the Library Communities –ONIX and DOI in the Book & Publishing Communities –Learning Object Metadata in e-Learning Searching Standards –Z39.50 and ZING in the Library Communities –OAI in the Digital Library Community –XPath, XQuery etc. in the enterprise technology community Digital Rights Expression Languages –MPEG-21 –ODRL Learning Technology Standards –Sharable Content Object Reference Model –IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee –Aviation Industry CBT Alliance –Various MPEG Standards –Etc.

Requirements Requirement: means of expressing and managing rights that –Is persistent –Works with heterogeneous content –Is platform independent –Is locally adaptive yet globally authoritative –Fits into existing technology environments –Is compatible with existing standards –Works in highly distributed settings –Applies beyond traditional content –Is a true standard

Challenge #10: DRM As Part of an Overall Content Strategy Organizations Develop Content Strategies to –Gain efficiency through uniform policies –Improve workflows by providing a common understanding of the structure of content –Exchange of content with other organizations –Inform acquisition of content –Inform internal and external content creation –Guide management, workflow and technology decisions

Content Strategy Components Business and Service Goals Content Models Technology Reference Models Internal and external policies And Rights Management

Reference Models and Content Models A reference model Gathers and documents specifications and best practices Is concrete enough to show the way Is general enough to open the way A content model Defines an organization’s content building blocks Defines objects and how they fit together Helps define the content development workflow

An Instructional Design Based Learning Content Model* Content Asset Learning Component* Learning Environment tex t animation AudioAudio illustration principle concept procedure Objective Practice Assess Components Databases Communications Web Services Communities eLearning Knowledge Management C o n t e x t a n d C o m p l e x I t y R e u s a b i I I t y _ + *A case study, a course, a program of study, performance tools, a curriculum, a competency, and so on Information Object Learning Object *Source: Learnativity

Requirements Requirement: means of expressing and managing rights that –Is persistent –Works with heterogeneous content –Is platform independent –Is locally adaptive yet globally authoritative –Fits into existing technology environments –Is compatible with existing standards –Works in highly distributed settings –Applies beyond traditional content –Is a true standard –Supports organizational content strategies

Rights Expression Languages A Key Idea A Possible Solution

LEARNING CONTENT RIGHTS MANAGEMENT CYCLE DIGITAL CONTENT PRODUCED RIGHTS ATTACHED VIA REL DIGITAL CONTENT DELIVERED DIGITAL RIGHTS ENFORCED

Digital Rights Standards DRM standards are being developed on an international level Foremost among these are activities taking place within the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) under ISO –Working on comprehensive set of DRM interoperability standards –Furthest progressed towards standardization –Most likely to be adopted by product vendors and content producers

The MPEG Rights Expression Language MPEG REL creates digital “licenses” that –Record and express permissions and conditions –Express conditions for issuing new licenses Applications can read, write and enforce permissions and conditions in a standard way Only “positive” rights are expressed As content moves from system to system, licenses generate a “virtual paper trail” documenting organizational diligence and adherence to laws and agreements

MPEG-21 REL : GRANTS AND LICENCES Right Grant Resource Principal Conditions Right Grant Resource Principal Conditions Right Grant Resource Principal Conditions License Issuer attributes Source: ContentGuard

Distribution and Usage Licences DistributorConsumer Content Owner Distr. License Distr. License Usage License Usage License grant issue grant up to max count grant play content for 30 days Source: ContentGuard

(Continued) Discussion Robby Robson Eduworks Corporation