The Coral Consortium is a cross-industry initiative
that brings together content owners, distributors, device
makers, and software providers to collaborate on interoperability
solutions between existing and emerging DRM products.
Coral also addresses difficulties consumers face when moving
digital content between their devices, by enabling play
anytime, anywhere. Play anytime, anywhere
envisions a consumer experience where content can be
enjoyed regardless of which format, device, or distribution
service the content was originally acquired in. Coral's
primary objective is to forge agreements on the precise
interface specifications, core services, and general
interoperability scenarios that must be supported. Given
the very different requirements of each of the value
chain participants, this is not a small endeavor.
Based on a number of real-world DRM interoperability scenarios,
and taking into account the different requirements of the
value chain participants, Coral has developed an architecture
v.1.0 specification that relies on devices leveraging
web-based and local services to solve interoperability
conflicts. These specifications focus on bridging gaps
between disparate DRM systems and safeguarding against
mismatches that are common when communicating between them.
In building its solution, Coral is accepting submissions
from companies participating in the consortium.
Marlin is a joint development initiative formed by leading
CE companies: MEI (Panasonic), Philips, Samsung, and Sony,
and DRM leader Intertrust. Marlin defines specifications
for a common DRM architecture for a family of CE-based
client devices and services that specifically meet the
requirements of this industry. Implementing Marlin will
ensure commonality in how devices enforce rights and apply
digital rules to content. It also simplifies the legitimate
exchange of content between Marlin compatible devices.
In addition to providing specifications, Marlin will also
offer a process for adoption that includes a licensing
framework and a Community Source program.
Marlin's version 1.0 specifications will allow adopters
to rapidly build interoperable DRM functionality into their
products and services, irrespective of whether the content
is distributed by broadband, broadcast, or mobile channels
(including OMA v.2.0 compatible). Future versions might
include profiles for other industries. Early devices based
on the Marlin architecture will include portable media
players, set-top boxes, and digital video recorders.
Future adopters can include mobile handset makers.
