The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage is currently conducting hearings on the role of the public broadcaster in the 21st century with much of the discussion unsurprisingly focused on new media issues. On Thursday, CBC President Robert Rabinovitch will appear before the committee. If committee members are following recent CBC developments, they might want to ask why the CBC has chosen to use DRM as part of its latest plunge into online video.
Last week, the CBC and DivX, which runs the Stage6 online video site, announced a deal that will feature CBC content. Stage6 is known for higher quality video than sites such as YouTube and provides a DRM option (which CBC has adopted). That quality comes at a significant price, however – users require a unique plugin (which likely means most won't bother) and imbedding it in blogs and other sites is complicated. The CBC also has a Google Video page so there is content that can be more easily used on blogs, though not downloaded.
While it is good to see the CBC posting its stuff online, the BBC's Creative Archive project demonstrates that there are other options for a public broadcaster as it released hundreds of clips for non-commercial re-use to the public. Similarly, RadioBras in Brazil offers all of its content under Creative Commons licenses. Of course, the CBC itself provides unprotected (though copyright restricted) MP3 versions of its "best-of" audio with its extensive podcast site. It would be interesting to learn why the CBC treats audio and video differently and whether its vision of the video future includes something beyond non-downloadable clips and the inclusion of DRM.
And the plugin does not work on Linux of course…
Burrell
One would think that open distribution policies would be more conducive to spreading fictionalized representations of Canadian culture amongst Canadians. I, for one, expect more forward thinking from the Canadian Broadcasting/Propaganda/Hockey/Boring-art-film Corporation.
I should read the field labels more often…
I’m surprised
I’m actually shocked the CBC is considering the use of DRM. It flies in the face of everything the CBC stands for. Any business student with any knowledge of the issues at hand could tell you DRM does not fit with the vision and mission of the CBC.
It has DRM because some clueless manager has mandated it. That’s how things work. There doesn’t have to be a good reason.
Lemur
Your comment on the CBC having a Google Video page is, while quite true, somewhat misleading. It implies that Google Video does not support the downloading of files – where in fact, the decision again lies with the uploader, as in Stage6.
Ah yes, the good ole CBC. Canada’s effort to mandate culture, and overbid on hockey broadcast rights. I truly enjoy the fruitless efforts put forth by all these different corporate, techno-clueless thinkers, to apply DRM to their product. New DRM schemes are being defeated as fast as they come out. In 25 years of computer use (starting with my old Vic20), I have never seen a copy protection scheme hold up, and I likely never will. Not only does DRM not discourage any determined copier, it also punishes legitimate viewers by limiting their playback option, requiring more robust equipment to handle the overhead DRM creates, and leaves them without recourse when DRM fails leaving their legitimately owned product useless.
DRM is lose lose. It costs more to implement (in this case, a special plugin to be developed to view it), it provides no protection against piraters who know it is just a matter of time before it is defeated and the method broadcast over the internet, and it punishes legitimate users with increased costs, increased equipment needs, and limited playback options (as pointed out, Linux plugin? Not).
DRM is implemented because of lawyers. Because of business people who don’t use the product they are charged with selling. Because technical people are not empowered to say “people don’t like this!” Because actors and guilds are terrified that they will have no work. Because the same old people at the end of the gravy train are not going to get what they used to get, and they will have to work differently.
Technical Monkey Trap
As long as technology is perceived as power. There will be I.D.10 T errors.