Alan Cox
By email to: [FOI #26721 email]
8 February 2010
Dear Alan,
Freedom of Information Act 2000 – RFI20100039
Thank you for your request under the Freedom of Information Act (‘the Act’) of 11 January 2010,
seeking:
“[1.] A list of the organisations that indicated to the BBC an interest in DTG D-Book copy
protection.
[2.] A list of the content providing and receiver hardware/software producers the BBC held
discussions with on this matter.
[3.] A list of standards bodies (such as the DTLA) whom the BBC held discussions with.
[4.] The missing public interest test analysis (the final summary for management is sufficient), or
confirmation that one was not performed.”
In your request, you noted that that you were “
not requesting any minutes of or copies of any
emails/meetings, merely the names of the bodies... The names are sufficient for the moment.” You also
noted that your request excluded “
any informal contacts with content and receiver organisations” but
should be restricted to only those organisations with whom “
[BBC] management specifically decided
to hold discussions or meetings with at a formal level”.
Requested item 1
As disclosed in response to requested items 2 and 3 below, the BBC has had many contacts with
content providers and hardware manufacturers. In releasing the information below, the BBC has
interpreted the request as widely as possible.
However, in respect of this requested item, we believe that we do not hold the information that
you are seeking. In discussion with content providers, we have not discussed their ‘interest’ per se
in ‘DTG D-Book copy protection’, but rather the protection of their copyright and other rights in
general. Similarly, in discussion with hardware and software manufacturers who are producing
equipment intending to be compliant with the D Book, we have not discussed an ‘interest’ in the
specific copy protection technology, rather their general compliance with the guidelines set out in
the D Book.
We are aware that members of our staff have been present at meetings of the DVB Project at
which content management technologies have been discussed, and appreciate that there may have
been conversations or discussions held with those who may have expressed a detailed, technical
‘interest’ in the system which is ultimately set out in the D Book. Whilst we consider these to
have been the sort of ‘informal contacts’ which you have excluded from your request, we can
confirm nevertheless that we do not hold information which would allow us to identify these
discussions or the organisations involved.
Requested item 2
The BBC does not hold any specific information in relation to discussions with content providers
as regards the DTG D-Book copy protection system for Freeview HD. However, and outside the
scope of your request, we are prepared to disclose the names of those content providing
organisations with whom we have discussed copy protection in general as part of their supply
agreements. The names of these organisations are attached as appendix 1 to this letter.
In respect of hardware and software manufacturers, we have held discussions concerning, amongst
other things, the copy protection system set out in the D Book in two ways. The first way is
through the meetings of the DTG and its sub-groups, in many of which we have involvement and
some of which members of our staff chair. The second is through bi-lateral discussions with
certain equipment manufacturers and suppliers.
It is important to note that the DTG D Book is a vast document which covers many topics;
indeed, the document is intended to be as comprehensive as possible to encourage
interoperability between devices. As the DTG meetings are conducted on a wide scale and
generally concerning the sections of the document wider than just the copy protection system for
Freeview HD, we consider that we do not hold sufficient information to correlate meeting
attendance with the matters which were discussed at each meeting.
This notwithstanding, we consider that much of the discussion about any copy protection system
is likely to have occurred at meetings of four specific DTG groups: the Receiver
Recommendations Group, the SI Group, the T2 Launch Group, and the Technical Council. The
terms of reference and membership of these groups is a matter for the Digital Television Group,
who are not subject to the Act. However, we note that full details of the DTG’s membership are
available online at:
http://www.dtg.org.uk/dtg/members.html
In respect of bi-lateral meetings between the BBC and receiver hardware and software
manufacturers, we can confirm that discussions relating to the DTG D-Book copy protection
system have taken place with all of the parties listed in appendix 2
The BBC has communicated extensively and directly with a wider group of hardware and software
manufacturers in relation to the development of the Freeview HD standard. These
communications have included bi-lateral face to face meetings, some of which will have addressed
issues relating of the copy protection system. Unfortunately, we do not hold sufficient
information to determine whether or not, or at which meetings, the copy management system in
the D Book was discussed with each of these manufacturers. Nevertheless, we have attached a list
of those organisations with whom we have had bi-lateral engagement over the development of
Freeview HD in the widest sense as appendix 3 to this letter.
Requested item 3
We attach a list of those standards bodies (which we have interpreted in the widest sense – that is
to include the DTLA, who are not themselves a standards body) with whom we have held
discussions as appendix 4 to this letter.
Requested item 4
I am able to confirm that there has not been a ‘public value test’ in the sense given to it by the
BBC Agreement in relation to the copy protection technologies which are proposed to be used
for Freeview HD. The BBC has however made an assessment of the merits of the proposed copy
protection technology, which has been recently published as part of Ofcom’s consultation
document on the subject. This is available as part of the document published at this location:
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/content_mngt/condoc.pdf
Appeal Rights
If you are not satisfied with this response you have the right to an internal review by a BBC senior
manager or legal adviser. Please contact us at the address below, explaining what you would like us
to review and including your reference number. If you are not satisfied with the internal review,
you can appeal to the Information Commissioner. The contact details are: Information
Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, telephone
01625 545 700 or see http://www.ico.gov.uk/
Yours sincerely,
Graham Plumb
Acting Controller
BBC Distribution
APPENDIX 1 – CONTENT PROVIDERS
• ITV
• C4
• S4C
• Five
• BBC Worldwide
• Disney
• Fox Entertainment
• Sony Pictures
• Time Warner
APPENDIX 2 – HARDWARE/SOFTWARE MANUFACTURERS – BI-LATERAL
ENGAGEMENT ON SPECIFICS OF D BOOK COPY PROTECTION SYSTEM
• Cabot
• Humax
• LG
• Pace
• Panasonic
• Philips
• Samsung
• Sony
• Sony Semiconductor
• Tvonics
• Vestel
APPENDIX 3 – HARDWARE/SOFTWARE MANUFACTURERS – BI-LATERAL
ENGAGEMENT ON ASPECTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF FREEVIEW HD
PRODUCTS
• ADB Global
• Argos
• Arqiva
• Bristol Interactive TV
• Broadcom
• Cabot
• Cisco
• Digital Stream Technology
• Digitalvision TV
• DMOL
• Dixons Stores Group (DSG)
• Digital TV Labs
• Echostar
• Fujitsu
• Hitachi
• Homecast
• Humax
• IPVision
• JVC
• Kaon Media
• LG
• Loewe
• Metronic
• Microsoft
• Mstar
• NEC
• NXP
• Pace
• Panasonic
• Philips
• Pixsan
• Simply Media/3View
• S&T
• Sagem
• Sainsburys
• Samsung
• Sharp
• Sidsa
• Siemens
• Silicon Labs
• Sony
• Sony Semiconductor
• ST Microelectronics
• Teamcast
• Thomson
• TopUp TV
• Toshiba
• Tvonics
• Vestel
APPENDIX 4 – STANDARDS BODIES
• Digital Transmission Licensing Administrator (DTLA)
• Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) project – particularly project groups DVB-CPT and DVB-
GBS
• Digital Television Group
• European Broadcasting Union (EBU)
• Marlin Developer Community (MDC) / Marlin Partner Program (MPP) / Marlin Trust
Management Organisation (MTMO)
