(keitai-l) DRM (was: using dual GSM/CDMA phones overseas)

From: Chas Sweeting <charlie_at_skinnyhippo.com>
Date: 06/22/04
Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.20040622184214.011b37d0@mail.skinnyhippo.com>
[in reply to Kyle Barrow:]

>> Thanks for the succinct answer, Kyle :)
>
>I sometimes reply to this list via my mobile ;)

No worries - understood. Wish I could do the same, 
but that's a rant I'll save for my local GSM operator.

>I was just referring to j2me games, you can transfer non-copy-protected 
>video and audio via SD although the mobile's audio and video 
>applications will not open without a Vodafone USIM.

Wow, that is pretty strict and would definitely 
foil what I was going to do with the phone. 
ie. use it in "standalone mode" (for lack of a 
better term) for demo purposes.  Thanks for the
heads-up. 


> Mobiles in Japan are either heavily subsidised by or discounted for 
> operators which is their argument for locking the mobiles down. An 
> example would be Vodafone's V801SA currently sells for ¥14,800 but a 
> Nokia 7600 goes for ¥69,800.

OK, that makes sense, though I am surprised there 
hasn't evolved a market for modifying/unlocking 
these phones... 


[in reply to Curt Sampson:]

>On Sun, 20 Jun 2004, Claus Hoefele wrote:
>> All three operators try their best to make it impossible to use their
>> phones outside Japan, even for offline demonstration usage. Wonder
>> why.
>
>I suspect the big worry is transfer of content between users. They want
>to make sure that if you've downloaded an appli or ringtone or whatever,
>you can't give it to your friends. Content providers, especially in
>the popular media biz (pop music, movies, etc.) tend to be extremely
>paranoid about sharing of their content.

This was precisely what I was trying to investigate -
the ease with which music files, video clips etc can
be "shared", and the formats supported.... 

... and inversely, the ability to protect such content
since I find myself working on the content distribution
side in the near future. 

So, if I understand this correctly, the Japanese operators 
have managed to enforce some form of rights-management, 
thanks to co-operation with the handset manufacturers. 
How successful has it been so far ? 


[in reply to Max Kington:]

> I've actually written an article for IBM DeveloperWorks 
> on Open Mobile Alliance DRM, should be published in the 
> next week or two, I'll post a link when it has
> been made available 

Looking forward to this. Have been investigating DRM 
solutions recently, and how DRM will be implemented in
the non-Japan, handsets-and-operators-don't-necessarily-
-work-together-all-that-well, GSM world. 

cheers,

Chas
Received on Tue Jun 22 13:31:15 2004