MPAA joins W3C, giving it a voice on the future of the web

MPAA joins W3C, giving it a voice on the future of the web
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has joined the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), it has been announced.

As a member, the MPAA will be represented on the advisory committee and be a part of the standards review process, gaining access to W3C materials before public release. Needless to say this announcement - made via Twitter - raises more than a few eyebrows.



The W3C is one of the most respected organizations in the tech universe, and for good reason. It is considered - and behaves as - the international standards organization for the World Wide Web. It counts not far from 400 members, and is led by founder Tim Berners-Lee, who is often described as the inventor of the World Wide Web which are you using now.

W3C standards are vitally important because they are adhered to by browser/application developers and acknowledged in the design of most of the world's web services. If you think about the most problematic elements of your WWW experience, they typically are associated with web sources that stray from W3C standards to add additional functionality or usability, such as sites that use Adobe's proprietary Flash plug-in to operator correctly.

The W3C claims to be committed to open standards and a "Web of Trust", but it is not without controversy. The most recent example surrounded the possible inclusion of Encrypted Media Extensions (EME) - for the use of Digital Rights Management (DRM) - in the HTML5 standard. DRM is certainly not associated with openness or interoperability.

Comments made by Tim Berners-Lee seemingly in support of DRM in HTML5 stoked even more fears - the so-called inventor of the web and director of the W3C rationalizing the inclusion of DRM in HTML5.

Now the MPAA has reportedly joined the group, it seems an even more likely scenario. As the trade group representing the major Hollywood film studios, the MPAA has found itself an advocate of doing harm to the open Internet on more than one occasion.

Provisions in the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) that appeared in the United States Congress would have given undue power to copyright holders to have websites shut down or otherwise obstructed for alleged copyright infringement. On top of that were very controversial proposals to use DNS blocking as a means to cut off Internet users from remote websites.



The MPAA seemingly is more interested with how to police what Internet users can do online rather than developing open standards. Indeed, in the past, it seemed to be more of denialist of technological changes driven by the Internet - particularly with how customers want to consume content - than an embracer of change.

Written by: James Delahunty @ 8 Jan 2014 6:05
Tags
MPAA W3C
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  • 13 comments
  • SomeBozo

    I think we need big bird, the cookie monster, some porn stars to be part of the W3C committee now as well.

    Big bird because this is really a stupid bird brain idea, seriously co-workers of mine have been part of a number of W3C specs, i'm hard pressed to see how the MPAA has any technical expertise to drive new standards.

    Cookie monster because who else knows how to eat and consume any and everything without regards to what it is.

    A Porn star because who else can show the W3C how else to take it and get paid for it.

    8.1.2014 08:51 #1

  • nonoitall

    Quote:The W3C is one of the most respected organizations in the tech universe... Won't be for long at this rate. The MPAA and "open standards" do not belong in the same sentence, paragraph, article, book or library.

    8.1.2014 18:11 #2

  • Interestx

    Monetizing every single last thing done anywhere is all these kind of organisations can imagine or think of.
    They are so deluded that they imagine everything has the value, to all others, that they claim it to have.
    This is their sole purpose for getting involved at all.

    They're so stupid that they cannot (and wilfully refuse to see & accept) that supposedly 'free' downloading over the net has been a huge cash earner for them, instead they cling to the ludicrous fantasy that every download ought to be a cash sale in every instance.

    They're just getting in to push the same idiotic agenda they are always whining about.

    8.1.2014 20:17 #3

  • Jemborg

    Thoughtfully written Mr Delahunty. And excellent comment Boz.

    I don't know what to add, it seems highly inappropriate... but there it is. I'm somewhat depressed by this...

    I guess the MPAA should have made it to the panel in the original Rollerball movie too.

    They KNOW they have to control the media distribution if they hope to make the superprofits they took for granted in the long and over-extended (compared to other industries) past... the 'exclusivity factor'.

    One more observation before I go... for an industry that claims to be bleeding because of so-called "piracy" I've never seen so many movies made and being made before in my life, a plethora of movies, including endless big-budget blockbusters (and TV), I could never hope to catch up to watching if I tried.


    Its a lot easier being righteous than right.


    9.1.2014 00:17 #4

  • Interestx

    Quote:for an industry that claims to be bleeding because of so-called "piracy" It's a lie.
    The 'entertainment industry' is probably the 2nd most profitable enterprise on the planet after conventional energy.

    They have been at this lie for decades
    link

    9.1.2014 07:06 #5

  • Jemborg

    Haha. I see they have:


    Its a lot easier being righteous than right.


    9.1.2014 09:32 #6

  • six60six

    The W3C no longer has a voice as its mouth is full of MPAA (euphemism for male sexual organ).

    11.1.2014 17:01 #7

  • sternrulez

    Originally posted by SomeBozo: I think we need big bird, the cookie monster, some porn stars to be part of the W3C committee now as well.

    Big bird because this is really a stupid bird brain idea, seriously co-workers of mine have been part of a number of W3C specs, i'm hard pressed to see how the MPAA has any technical expertise to drive new standards.

    Cookie monster because who else knows how to eat and consume any and everything without regards to what it is.

    A Porn star because who else can show the W3C how else to take it and get paid for it.
    Wow, well said!!!! The only one I'd add is Miley Cyrus (who is close to being a porn star, but I digress). She is someone who produces awful content, and could care less how many people hate her...lol

    12.1.2014 10:36 #8

  • sternrulez

    Originally posted by Interestx: Monetizing every single last thing done anywhere is all these kind of organisations can imagine or think of.
    They are so deluded that they imagine everything has the value, to all others, that they claim it to have.
    This is their sole purpose for getting involved at all.

    They're so stupid that they cannot (and wilfully refuse to see & accept) that supposedly 'free' downloading over the net has been a huge cash earner for them, instead they cling to the ludicrous fantasy that every download ought to be a cash sale in every instance.

    They're just getting in to push the same idiotic agenda they are always whining about.
    And considering they should institute a "NW" rating for "Non-Watchable" to certain movies (Paranormal Activity: the Marked Ones, The Purge, etc.), they clearly can't manage what they're in charge of NOW...

    12.1.2014 10:39 #9

  • sternrulez

    Originally posted by Jemborg: Thoughtfully written Mr Delahunty. And excellent comment Boz.

    I don't know what to add, it seems highly inappropriate... but there it is. I'm somewhat depressed by this...

    I guess the MPAA should have made it to the panel in the original Rollerball movie too.

    They KNOW they have to control the media distribution if they hope to make the superprofits they took for granted in the long and over-extended (compared to other industries) past... the 'exclusivity factor'.

    One more observation before I go... for an industry that claims to be bleeding because of so-called "piracy" I've never seen so many movies made and being made before in my life, a plethora of movies, including endless big-budget blockbusters (and TV), I could never hope to catch up to watching if I tried.

    I see one small problem with your last observation, yet I still agree with it: Many of the "Blockbuster" movies aren't worth even paying the buck for at Redbox, much less full ticket price. I was very grateful that I had credits to use from my Redbox Instant account so that in essence I paid nothing to watch The Lone Ranger. If it weren't for Johnny Depp's one-liners I would've shut it off before it was even halfway finished...

    12.1.2014 10:44 #10

  • adre02

    Originally posted by sternrulez: Originally posted by SomeBozo: I think we need big bird, the cookie monster, some porn stars to be part of the W3C committee now as well.

    Big bird because this is really a stupid bird brain idea, seriously co-workers of mine have been part of a number of W3C specs, i'm hard pressed to see how the MPAA has any technical expertise to drive new standards.

    Cookie monster because who else knows how to eat and consume any and everything without regards to what it is.

    A Porn star because who else can show the W3C how else to take it and get paid for it.
    Wow, well said!!!! The only one I'd add is Miley Cyrus (who is close to being a porn star, but I digress). She is someone who produces awful content, and could care less how many people hate her...lol
    That is because she is selling records out of the yingyang...check the stats. Just pointing that out.

    This is superman

    14.1.2014 20:14 #11

  • Jemborg

    Originally posted by sternrulez: Originally posted by Jemborg:

    One more observation before I go... for an industry that claims to be bleeding because of so-called "piracy" I've never seen so many movies made and being made before in my life, a plethora of movies, including endless big-budget blockbusters (and TV), I could never hope to catch up to watching if I tried.

    I see one small problem with your last observation, yet I still agree with it: Many of the "Blockbuster" movies aren't worth even paying the buck for at Redbox, much less full ticket price. I was very grateful that I had credits to use from my Redbox Instant account so that in essence I paid nothing to watch The Lone Ranger. If it weren't for Johnny Depp's one-liners I would've shut it off before it was even halfway finished...
    I'm just commenting that for a industry that is "suffering" that it still commands A LOT of investment. Enough even to pour out the 90+% rubbish you allude to.

    Its a lot easier being righteous than right.


    14.1.2014 21:30 #12

  • sternrulez

    Originally posted by Jemborg: Originally posted by sternrulez: Originally posted by Jemborg:



    I'm just commenting that for a industry that is "suffering" that it still commands A LOT of investment. Enough even to pour out the 90+% rubbish you allude to.
    Very true. I'd much prefer fewer quality movies to tons of detritus...

    15.1.2014 07:07 #13

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