2nd International Open Digital Rights Language Workshop, Lisbon, Portugal, July 2005. Scholarly Paper available at http://odrl.net/workshop2005/program/paper-schull.pdf Jonathan Schull shared his long-standing knowledge about the evolution of digital goods, i.e. the virtualisation of the world and his visions for the future. He makes the very striking connection between the virtualisation of money and now, a few years later, the virtualisation of digital goods or information products. From his experience of the early days of superdistribution and the observation how digital rights management technology has evolved, today he encourages distribution of content and copying of content rather than locking it in with strong security means, such as some of the current DRM technology. This approach keeps customers away from digital goods, Schull stated. He suggests to track superdistribution activities and to reward users who actively redistribute content, a concept that the OMA Version 2.0 specification already offers. He also sees the need to formulate rights that are valid downstream, i.e. rights that apply to the customer’s customer. The ODRL Version 2.0 model allows for such downstream rights with the “Next Rights” concept and thus, it seems the technical means are available for a slightly different approach to DRM.

1. Predicting the evolution
of digital rights, digital objects, and
digital rights management languages.
Jonathan Schull,
Associate Professor, Information Technology,
Rochester Institute of Technology

2. When worlds collide
Biologization Virtualization
representation
the ability Digital in purely
to disembodied
reproduce, Rights
bits.
spread, Management
and evolve.

3. The Virtualization of Money

4. Fee for Service predates Exchange

5. Barter:
exchange of things for things

6. Evolution of Money
Negotiable Scarce
Commodities …
Weighable Scarce
Commodities
Authenticatable and
therefore Countable

7. From Silver Certificates …

8. …to Good Faith

9. The Virtualization of Money: no problem!
(If you can count on the constant
vigilance and full force of the most
powerful political and military forces
in the history of mankind.)

10. Increasingly, it’s
digital documents for digital documents
Digital
Rights
Management
(for money)
is a done
deal.

11. The Virtualization of Information Products
A similar story.

12. On the other hand…
What about biology?

13. Two Meanings
of Publishing
1. Dissemination
of Information Processes:
the economy of ecology
and the wealth of notions
2. Manufacturing
of Information Products:
the economy of things
and the wealth of nations

14. Self-propagating information media
• Self-reproducing machines
• Digital Media
• Writing
• Speech
• Memes
• Nervous Systems
and Imitation
• Viruses and Cells
• DNA
• RNA
• Protocells

16. Information is not a thing.
• Some patterns don't just move from
place to place.
– They reproduce
– They spread
– They evolve.

17. Digital Media and Me

18. Superdistribution: the Early Days
1990
(Specialized Hardware)
1992
(All Software)
1994
(Metered Usage)

20. Context-sensitivity

21. Future of Superdistribution:
More Virtual
• Non-currency remuneration (OMA tokens?)

22. Tracking Redistribution: Why?

23. Future of Superdistribution:
More Viral:
Tracking and compensating re-distribution
• Compensation for Redistribution
• Can ODRL specify rights for re-distributors?

24. Future of Superdistribution
M
More Viral:
Tracking and compensating re-distribution

25. Tracking Redistribution: How?

26. Personal Information Trust
• Privacy Problem
– Tracking data are personal data
– Privacy rights are weakly defined
• Solution?
– Help subjects of tracking data
• exploit value,
• preserve privacy Anonymized,
Temporalized
Consumer Mark
Marketer
#12345.678
?
!
Mark Dear 12345, Dear Connie,
Marketer … …
Sincerely, Mark Marketer Connie
Sincerely, Mark Marketer
Consumer
Dear Mark,
Dear Mark, …
… Sincerely, Connie
Sincerely, 12345

27. Personal Information Trust
• Because Value of Personal Information is synergistic:
– Each bit is more valuable with other bits
– Because only the consumer can combine bits…
…consumer controls usage, reaps benefits
– The PIT and consumer can profit…
…by purchasing data from 3rd parties.
• 3rd parties would get better prices from the PIT than from spammers.
• Marketers would get more value from the PIT than from black market data
M
mongers.

28. Privacy Challenges
Can we assert rights over..
– Tracking data?
• Where?
– In the transferred objects?
– Via the transaction system?
– Both?
» Tracking data will often of most value to the content
T
creator
– Data generated by information transactions
• between and among individuals and marketers?
b
– Conditions under which contact is welcome
– Conditions under which tracking data can be used

29. Adaptation by Natural Selection
• Reproduction
• Mutation
• Inheritance
• D
Differential Reproduction
– Functional Mutations!
• Price
• Color Scheme
• Trial Durations
• Rights Conditions?
Central Server
can ensure that
differential reproduction
promotes “vendor fitness”
not just “viral reproduction”

30. Challenge
Is it possible to assert rights over
– documents that are intended to
change…
• randomly ?
• In a directed fashion?

31. Thank You!