EU wants one license, one DRM scheme
By Leah McBride Mensching, Friday 4 January 2008 at 23:20 :: Online/Digital Publishing :: #1057 :: rss
Companies selling online content in the European Union know that separate licensing agreements must be negotiated for different countries. These circumstances could change soon, however, as the European Commission finalized its “Creative Content Online in the Single Market” paper Thursday, and will make proposals for instituting digital content regulations for the European Union by the middle of 2008.
The plan would create a single European market for online music, films and video games, and is pushing for one interoperable, consumer-friendly DRM (digital rights management) system.
The commission is calling on the media industry to put their concerns of piracy aside through “innovative and collaborative solutions,” and make more content available digitally, paidContent reported.
“Europe's content sector is suffering under its regulatory fragmentation, under its lack of clear, consumer-friendly rules for accessing copyright-protected online content, and serious disagreements between stakeholders about fundamental issues such as levies and private copying,” EU Commissioner Viviane Reding said in a statement, according to Ars Technica.
To remedy the problem, the commission wants to draw up “a framework for DRM transparency,” which would include interoperability and ensure that customers be informed of DRM-specific content restrictions before they buy, according to paidContent, which added that “this move may be arriving too late if other entertainment media following music labels' recent moves to embrace DRM-free, however.”
The commission's recommendation, to be adopted by mid-2008, will also encourage ISPs, content owners and consumer groups to make progress when it comes to fragmentation problems, confusing rules about copyright-protected online content and levies and private copying. The commission is also “strongly encouraging stakeholders” to streamline negotiations over rights, Ars Technica reported.
The paper also proposes that distributors, rights holders and customers establish “codes of conduct” when it comes to illegal downloading and sharing, according to paidContent.
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