How to Get Started With Digital Rights Management

Different Needs, Different Scenarios
To help simplify the settings of the various rights, PlayStream provides popular scenarios and the corresponding rights that would be utilized in creating the subscription online.

Basic Playback
For basic playback functionality, allow the following rights:
-AllowPlayOnPC
-AllowBackupRestore

Promotional Material To distribute promotional material for limited use, use the following rights:
-AllowPlayOnPC
-BeginDate and ExpirationDate (to limit the time during which the license is valid)
-DeleteOnClockRollback or DisableOn-ClockRollback
-MinimumAppSecurity (set to a low value so that more consumers can play the Windows Media file)
Rental
To let consumers play a Windows Media file for a period of time starting from when they first open the file, use the following rights:
-AllowPlayOnPC
-ExpirationDate
-ExpirationAfterFirstUse or Expiration-OnStore
-DeleteOnClockRollback or DisableOn-ClockRollback

Other scenarios are available, including setups that will allow consumers to play their Windows Media files on portable devices.

Encoding the Content
Once the music label sets the various rights, the subscription process has been completed. The next step will be to encrypt the Windows Media content. During the encryption process, the media content will be assigned a unique key/content ID for the purpose of data security. The encrypted file is then associated with the subscription. At that point, the encrypted file is ready for distribution, either as downloadable content or streaming content. When a consumer attempts to access the encrypted media, the consumer’s media player will automatically request a license key from PlayStream that allows for decryption and playback. Without the license key, the media will not play.

There are more sophisticated ways to utilize Windows Media’s DRM service, currently running in version 9. For example, you can associate multiple key/content IDs with a single subscription. You may also create a DRM encoder profile to encode multiple pieces of content with the same key/content ID. In that scenario, you could encode 100 files using the same key/content ID and only have to associate that key/content ID once with a subscription to generate a license that works for all 100 files. (It’s worth noting that Microsoft’s Windows Media DRM 10 is available now in a limited-release beta format and upon its full release, will offer even more features.)

You can also use the DRM encoder profile to generate encrypted live streams. Another possibility is to integrate "shopping cart" technology to implement pay-per-view capabilities. While these topics are beyond the scope of this article, an awareness of the capabilities of DRM can help you develop an implementation plan.

Buyer's Guide to DRM 2016

A simple guide through the complex landscape of multiple DRM technologies. Learn what DRM is, and how to choose and deploy the best solution for each platform.

25 Mar 2016