Mozilla Launches A New Firefox Version Without DRM Support

Xsilent(X) · May 12, 2015

Almost exactly a year ago, Mozilla announced that it would (very reluctantly) implement the HTML5 DRM specs into Firefox. Today, the organization officially launched HTML5 DRM support with the release of Firefox 38. In addition, however, Mozilla also announced the launch of a separate Firefox download that won’t automatically install Adobe’s technology for playing back DRM-wrapped content in the browser.

With the launch of Firefox 38 today, the default version of the browser now supports the Encrypted Media Extensions API on Windows desktop (Vista+) and automatically downloads the Adobe Content Decryption Module (CDM).

The argument here is that this will allow users to watch content from Netflix and similar services without having to deal with plug-ins like Microsoft’s Silverlight, which is on its way out, and Adobe’s Flash. Having a built-in DRM solution in the browser that plays nicely with the HTML5 standard means users can watch their videos without having to think about plug-ins and the security issues that come with them. Netflix is already testing Firefox’s DRM solution to stream content to its subscribers.

http://techcrunch.com/2015/05/12/mozilla-launches-a-new-firefox-version-without-drm-support/#.mw6k1p:Y5zk

werto165 · May 12, 2015

Shame that the open source nature of firefox is being hindered by the evil of DRM. But as long as they have a DRM free version I will be happy.

mvitkun · May 12, 2015

Wonder if this will bring 1080p Netflix to Windows 7.

Sephiroth · May 12, 2015

Can someone explain, exactly, what DRM support would do/how it would work? I'm aware that it has to do with copyright laws, but how exactly does it distinguish what is and isn't copyrighted material? For example: I stream to twitch so that I can go back and watch my league play, trying to analyze it (since there's no replay system and I don't feel like storing the video files on a local drive when twitch does it for free, for a time) and I'm constantly having issues with twitch muting my stream vods for containing copyrighted music. But the music I'm listening to isn't anything modern; Chopin's piano works or Beethoven's symphonies, Mendelssohn, Strauss, Mozart, Wagner, what I listen to is entirely in the public domain. But time and time again twitch auto-mutes my vods with their 'anti-copyright' software. When I've written to twitch about it in the past, my vods are always eventually unmuted, but I stopped writing because it was an unnecessary hassle for each time. But what is to ensure that software implemented in a web browser doesn't automatically censor something that should be, by law, in the public domain and available for free usage?

LAwLz · May 13, 2015

Can someone explain, exactly, what DRM support would do/how it would work? I'm aware that it has to do with copyright laws, but how exactly does it distinguish what is and isn't copyrighted material? For example: I stream to twitch so that I can go back and watch my league play, trying to analyze it (since there's no replay system and I don't feel like storing the video files on a local drive when twitch does it for free, for a time) and I'm constantly having issues with twitch muting my stream vods for containing copyrighted music. But the music I'm listening to isn't anything modern; Chopin's piano works or Beethoven's symphonies, Mendelssohn, Strauss, Mozart, Wagner, what I listen to is entirely in the public domain. But time and time again twitch auto-mutes my vods with their 'anti-copyright' software. When I've written to twitch about it in the past, my vods are always eventually unmuted, but I stopped writing because it was an unnecessary hassle for each time. But what is to ensure that software implemented in a web browser doesn't automatically censor something that should be, by law, in the public domain and available for free usage?

DRM = Digital Rights Management.

In the case OP talks about, Firefox now supports playing DRM protected content. The Twitch things you are talking about does not have anything to do with DRM. DRM is simply about controlling what you can and can't do with software. For example music on iTunes used to have a DRM on them which made it so that you had to use iTunes to listen to the music you bought. When they removed the DRM it became possible to export them from iTunes as regular music files that could be played on anything.

NetFlix uses DRM. Without DRM on NetFlix you could just download a movie from NetFlix and then play it on anything. Obviously NetFlix doesn't like this because it makes it very easy for someone to just download all the movies and release them on pirate sites. What Firefox has done now is they have added support for the type of DRM that's in the HTML5 standard. NetFlix will use this DRM to protect their movies for example. Firefox itself doesn't have any DRM, but it now supports content that is DRM protected (like NetFlix).

Another example would be games. When you buy a game on GOG for example, you just get an installer you run and then you can play your game (the game is DRM free). You can even send the installer to your friend and then he can install it on his computer without any issues at all. With a DRM protected game you need for example a CD key when installing, and if both of you try to play the game at the same time one of you will be blocked from playing. The CD key is an example of DRM, because it is there to hinder you from doing whatever you want with the software.