[Home]
May 17, 2002

[News]
MPAA rejects Microsoft, Philips proposals

The MPAA has rejected the Microsoft and Philips DRM proposals (which the latter companies had submitted as Table A candidates). It also off-handedly rejected DigitalConsumer's suggestions:

In addition, relative to certain other proposals, MPAA Member Companies note that the scope of BPDG is to define the technical requirements and mechanisms for protection of digital broadcast content, not to debate or comment on the application of fair use principles.

MPAA provided three documents with comments on the Microsoft and Philips proposals and on the Table A criteria proposed in the most recent draft. We'll publish these as soon as possible.

Two of the documents are apparently based on a technology-rejection form letter which includes the text

Unfortunately we cannot agree to include your technology at this time. As you know, evaluating technologies usually requires extensive give and take, and a decision can not made on just a few conversations, presentations, or demonstrations.

(Emphasis added.) It certainly sounds to us as though the MPAA is confident of its prerogative to decide which technologies will be legal for use with digital TV broadcast. Rather than "we cannot recommend" or "we cannot endorse" a technology, the member studios say "we cannot agree to include" it.

Posted by Seth Schoen at 12:17 AM