[Fsfe-uk] address@hidden: JISC DRM Workshop - Manchester Friday 14th May]

[Jim Peters]

Apologies if this is old news or off-topic, but I received this
message with an open TO list (deleted below) with only about 30 names
on it, none of which I recognised.  If it really has been distributed
to so few people, I thought I should pass it around in case people
would like to get involved.

Incidentally, as far as I can see, DRM and open-source do not mix at
all well.  A DRM decoder would ideally be closed-source and run in the
most restrictive environment possible for the decoder design to meet
its objectives (which I'm assuming are to totally prevent the user
from accessing the content in ways not permitted by the DRM packagers,
whether those restrictions be fair and legal or otherwise).  

But someone please correct me if I am missing something here --
e.g. if there are perhaps some forms of DRM which might be workable or
even perhaps useful in an open-source setting.  

(I can't think of anything off the top of my head, except perhaps the
Creative Commons license tagging system which helps search engines and
programs recognise content that is legal to re-use, generally granting
freedoms instead of attempting to take them away; does this count as a
form of "DRM", though?)

Jim

----- Forwarded message from Ed Barker <address@hidden> -----

From: Ed Barker <address@hidden>
Subject: JISC DRM Workshop - Manchester Friday 14th May
Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2004 14:15:34 +0100

Dear Colleagues,

Intrallect Limited is currently carrying out a study on behalf of JISC, 
the objective of which is "to make recommendations on the best approach 
for JISC and the UK education and research communities to adopt in 
relation to digital rights management.". The study will consider all 
aspects of Digital Rights Management  (DRM) including recognition, 
assertion, expression, dissemination, exposure and enforcement of 
rights. The focus will be on the JISC information environment and 
e-Learning Framework but will take account of the many dimensions which 
define these environments: activities; resources; the law; technology; 
preservation; architectures; licenses. In addition, the study will 
consider personal and cultural issues.

We are holding a workshop on Friday, 14th May from 10.30 - 3.30 at 
Manchester University and we hope to include a selection of 
representatives with knowledge of the issues affecting the publishing,  
library, FE and HE teaching and research, and resource management 
community.

During the workshop we will spend some time discussing digital rights 
management generally but the main purpose of the workshop is to develop 
some "use cases" or scenarios in which digital rights management is 
important or problematic. These "use cases" will feed into the 
requirements for  possible solutions.

If you would be interested in attending this workshop or possible future 
workshops please let me know. Also if you are aware of colleagues who 
have an interest in this field we would appreciate it if you could 
forward this email to them.

Links to information about the project are included at the end of this 
email but if you require further information, please do not hesitate to 
contact us.

Best Wishes,

Ed Barker
Senior Consultant
Intrallect Limited
http://www.intrallect.com
Tel +44 870 234 3933
Fax +44 1506 505 117

The Digital Rights Management Study (DRM)  is part of the JISC's 
"Middleware and Shared Services  Studies" programme  
(http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=prog_middss_studies).

There is JISC mailing list to receive information: 
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/JISC-DRM.html.  The project website is 
http://www.intrallect.com/drm-study/index.htm.

----- End forwarded message -----

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