2006/10/19 Designing the foundations of Information Society in Italy

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Designing the foundations of Information Society in Italy

L. Chiariglione, G. Cosenza, R. Enni, E. Prosperetti, S. Quintarelli

IPDM06, Shanghai, 2006/10/19

2006/10/19 Designing the foundations of Information Society in Italy

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What is “dmin.it”, “digital media” and the “dmin.it proposal”?

• dmin.it is an interdisciplinary, open, non-profit group, with the goal to define and propose areas where Italy can gain a leading role in the exploitation of “digital media”

• Digital media is any digitally represented content which can be transported over digital networks and processed by programmable devices

• The dmin.it proposal concerns actions designed to maximise the flow of digital media

2006/10/19 Designing the foundations of Information Society in Italy

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The context

• Digital media offer a range of advantages• Digital techniques substantially modify the

traditional roles in and operational modalities of value chains

• So far all attempts at innovating media value chains have failed

• Today most digital value chains look like old analogue value chains thanks to control techniques based on proprietary technologies

• The size of the “official” market is dwarfed by the size of the “black” market

• The problem cannot solved by just “putting people in jail”

2006/10/19 Designing the foundations of Information Society in Italy

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The idea

• Finding the right equilibrium point between – The rights of operators to provide services using the

technologies that best support their business– The rights of consumers to access services with a

minimum level of interoperability if they so wish

• Designing the equilibrium point – For the national territory – Respecting international treaties

• Achieving the equilibrium point will– Create a homogeneous market of 60 million people– Provide lifeblood to the national culture industry – Stimulate innovation in the digital media market

2006/10/19 Designing the foundations of Information Society in Italy

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The gist of the proposal

• The dmin.it proposal requires actions in three different areas: – Rights management of digital media – Network access– Online payment systems

• Principles– An operator may utilise both interoperable and

proprietary forms of content, network and payment services

– A consumer may access both proprietary or interoperable services at his discretion

2006/10/19 Designing the foundations of Information Society in Italy

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Interoperable DRM system/1

• An iDRM specification is adopted at the national level

• If a service provider releases content for which he holds exclusive rights using a proprietary technology he must• Release it also using the iDRM technology• At conditions that are not discriminatory

compared to the offer made using his proprietary technology

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Interoperable DRM system/2

• The iDRM specifications are• Public• Implemented as Open Source Software• Not prescriptive of a particular business model

• Support of management only• Innovative business models• Legitimate intermediation roles

• Anybody may realise devices and services, request and obtain conformance certification for them, and offer them to interested parties

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Interoperable DRM system/3

• The governance of the iDRM ecosystem – Managed by representatives of the affected

parties– Evolution of specification– Certification– Responsibilities– Financial sustainability– Dispute resolution

2006/10/19 Designing the foundations of Information Society in Italy

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Open network

1. Two-way broadband operator offer bundled and/or unbundled access to their networks with technical characteristics of their choice

2. A user of the network (content provider, intermediary or end user) may request and obtain from a two-way broadband operator

1. The pure two-way service-agnostic access to the "big Internet"

2. With technical features already offered by the operator3. At conditions that are not discriminatory compared to other

offers of the operator3. Two-way broadband operators

1. Guarantee network service interoperability2. Agree and provide specific QoS levels at peering points so as

to provide users end to end QoS levels

2006/10/19 Designing the foundations of Information Society in Italy

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Open payment systems

• Anybody can open a “virtual” account based on guaranteed “real” payment systems, e.g. – Bank accounts– Credit cards– Prepaid card– Utility bill (gas, phone etc.)– etc.

• Synchronisation between virtual and real accounts performed at regular times or on demand– Transaction costs only apply at synchronisation time

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Advantages

• A large homogeneous broadband market can be created• Content creators have a low barrier to access value chains

– Provide more value to self-generated content– A more pluralistic market

• New intermediation forms can be created by combining – Network access– iDRM– Flexible payment systems supporting micropayments

• End users can access content from – Their network operators (bundled) – Outside their operator’s offer (unbundled)

• Abundance of properly priced legal content discourages piracy

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To know more

http://www.dmin.it/