Increased pressure on voice tariffs makes revenues from mobile content services and the resulting growth in data traffic increasingly important to wireless operators. In addition, GPRS and WCDMA networks make the faster download of higher-value content easier. Content owners, however, require protection against illicit distribution of their material, which makes adoption of Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology a crucial issue for the wireless industry.

As a leading provider of mobile systems, Ericsson is developing DRM-ready solutions for managing content in mobile systems. Dr Frank Hartung at Ericsson Research says: "DRM is a very important technology for supporting the proliferation and uptake of content services."

Rapidly growing end-user interest is partly fuelled by the arrival of more advanced, media-friendly handsets and brings tremendous opportunities for operators.

Helena Liljegren, Product Manager Content and Media Solutions at Ericsson, says subscriber appetite for media downloads has reached new peaks. "A growing part of total music sales is now made up of ringtones, the sales value of which has passed sales of CD singles. The hesitation seen earlier among content owners to use the mobile channel for distribution of contents is gone."

DRM technology is mature
One reason is the widespread adoption of DRM technology, which protects mobile content against unauthorized access, monitors the use of content, and enforces restrictions on what users can do with content. The most widely adopted DRM standard was developed by the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA), and its current DRM 2.0 version, first released end 2004, offers protection suited for services such as music, picture and video download and other high-value contents.

Hartung explains why and how: "OMA DRM 2.0 adds public-key encryption for protecting the symmetric keys used to encrypt content. Each encryption is unique for the mobile phone to which the content was originally downloaded, which makes it virtually impossible to spread protected content to other devices."

Ericsson is already implementing DRM 2.0 in its mobile phone platforms and Hartung foresees widespread deployment in 2006. DRM 1.0 has so far been implemented in nearly 400 handset models on the market. A newly formed certification body named Content Management License Administration (CMLA) has formed independently of OMA and will define rules on how DRM 2.0 shall be implemented in a device.

Suited for Mobile TV

DRM 2.0 is also the technology used for content protection for Mobile TV services as currently being specified by the OMA. Also, service access protection for Mobile TV services will be based on DRM 2.0, or, as an alternative, on 3GPP security and key management mechanisms. These two profiles for Mobile TV service protection in OMA are still under development.

OMA develops technical specifications, but does not manage or deal with related patent licenses. However, a group of five software and consumer electronics companies who claim they control patents necessary to implement OMA DRM, has formed a patent pool. The pool is managed by MPEG LA. According to a press release dating April 2005, MPEG LA is demanding USD 0.65 per DRM 1.0 device and an annual fee of USD 0.25 for each end user subscribing to protected content.

Network operators with content portals, service providers and handset manufacturers would pay the main part of the proposed fees. The GSM Association (GSMA) – which represents more than 300 carriers, system vendors and regulatory bodies – has publicly denounced the fee claims, noting that operators could not recoup the licensing fees by simply passing the cost along to customers.

And Ericsson's Hartung points out that the proposed license fee alone would be higher than the license charged for any other component of the telephone. He adds: "DRM is a good technology and it is regrettable that this fact is overshadowed by disagreements concerning patents and licenses. Ericsson strongly supports the work of the OMA."

Liljegren agrees: "Ericsson's view in general is that technology standards should be open and available to industry participants on reasonable and non-discriminatory terms, and that we hope the discussions will conclude in a way that suits all. DRM is a prerequisite for the development of sophisticated content services." She adds: "Ericsson advocates OMA DRM because we believe it is the best way for our customers to get access to a solution that is compatible with all aspects of a complex GSM network."

There are other alternatives to OMA DRM, such as Windows Media DRM from Microsoft and various other proprietary standards. Both Hartung and Liljegren point out that Ericsson is prepared to support and deliver whatever DRM solutions its customers demand: "Operators who buy our products don't have to be concerned about which DRM standard will emerge as the dominant one in the future," Hartung says.

End-to-end solutions

Ericsson Content Delivery System (ECDS) is able to handle DRM technology. Liljegren points out that quality of service for streaming content requires thorough knowledge of the entire chain, and how to route traffic in a core network all the way to the service layer. "Among system suppliers, Ericsson has a unique ability to help customers with end-to-end content solutions, because we understand every aspect of the chain," she says. "Besides the technical know-how necessary to offer telecom-grade solutions, our cooperation with content providers worldwide through Ericsson Mobility World makes us strong on content too, and adds the local dimension that is often crucial for content." 

In June, Ericsson and Napster, the biggest brand in digital music, announced a global partnership to offer the first complete, fully integrated digital music service available for mobile operators. The service will carry the globally known Napster brand and combine elements of Napster's popular PC offering and Ericsson's personalized music service M-USE, currently used by more mobile operators than any other in the world.

Other end-to-end services from Ericsson include Managed Subscription, Managed Download Service, Managed Video Service and Managed Gaming Solutions – all "white-label solutions" for operators to put their own brands on.