Collapse all Symbian^3 Product Developer Library

OMA DRM

Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) DRM is a mechanism used for protecting distributed content. Using DRM, the content can be accessed on authenticated devices depending on the usage rights set by the content owner. OMA DRM addresses the various technical aspects of this system by providing appropriate specifications for content formats, protocols, and a rights expression language.

Application developers are directly affected by the manner in which content is distributed, such as whether content can be freely copied between devices or not. The introduction of OMA DRM technology changes the way content is distributed and consumed. Understanding and using the OMA DRM standard enables your applications to gain access to high-quality branded content.

Because OMA DRM is an industry-wide standard, no other DRM solution can provide access to as many mobile users. OMA DRM contains a client component, providing a mechanism to control not only piracy via the mobile network but also via local connections, such as Bluetooth, infrared, and MultiMediaCard (MMC) memory cards. OMA continues to develop DRM standards as a joint effort among its members.

The following OMA DRM versions are supported:

OMA DRM v2.0 and v2.1 offer improved protection and support features, but due to higher licensing fee it is not as widely used as v1.0.

Nokia Mobile Internet Toolkit is an example of a tool that can be used to create mobile content with OMA DRM protection.

For more information on OMA DRM, see:

Differences between OMA DRM v1.0 and v2.0

The following table summarizes the differences between OMA DRM v1.0 and v2.0.

Feature	OMA DRM v1.0	OMA DRM v2.0
Security level during content transfer	Content is delivered in unprotected format and encrypted in the device.	Content is delivered in encrypted DRM content format (DCF). Use the DRM CAF Agent API methods to encrypt content.
Receiving rights objects	Using unconfirmed wireless application protocol (WAP) push.	Using the rights object acquisition protocol (ROAP).
Constraints	Count DateTime Interval	OMA DRM v1.0 constraints Timed-count Accumulated Individual

Feature

OMA DRM v1.0

OMA DRM v2.0

Security level during content transfer

Content is delivered in unprotected format and encrypted in the device.

Content is delivered in encrypted DRM content format (DCF).

Use the DRM CAF Agent API methods to encrypt content.

Receiving rights objects

Using unconfirmed wireless application protocol (WAP) push.

Using the rights object acquisition protocol (ROAP).

Constraints

Count
DateTime
Interval

OMA DRM v1.0 constraints
Timed-count
Accumulated
Individual

Determining the DRM version

Use the DRM CAF Agent API methods to determine the DRM version of a file.

Rights issuer and content issuer
DRM rights objects
A rights object defines the circumstances in which mobile device users are granted access to DRM-protected content. The rights object governs the use of DRM-protected content and is linked to the corresponding media object.
DRM agent
A DRM agent embodies a trusted entity in a device. It is responsible for enforcing permissions and constraints associated with DRM content, as well as controlling access to DRM content.
DRM content format
OMA DRM v1.0
The OMA DRM v1.0 specification enables content providers to associate certain rights to the content objects for defining how the content can be used. The Symbian platform supports the mandatory features of the OMA DRM v1.0 specification.
OMA DRM v2.0
The OMA Digital Rights Management (DRM) v2.0 specification provides stronger content protection and improved functionality for rich media content, such as music and video. The specification enables an end-to-end DRM system that takes into account the need for secure distribution, authentication of devices, revocation and other aspects. The Symbian platform supports the mandatory features of the OMA DRM v2.0 specification.
OMA DRM v2.1

Parent topic: Digital rights management