Analog Reconversion Discussion Group draft charter
This is a charter for a discussion group to address the "redigitization" or "reconversion" issue -- best known as the "analog hole".
This charter was proposed to the Copy Protection Technical Working Group on January 14. It was informally -- but not yet formally -- accepted. The group is currently called the Analog Reconversion Discussion Group (ARDG).
The draft charter, as distributed at the January 14 CPTWG meeting, is included below.
Charter of Analog Reconversion Discussion Group ("ARDG")
A Work Group of the CPTWG
CPTWG hereby creates and charters the Analog Reconversion
Discussion Group as a Work Group of the CPTWG.
Subject: Copyright owner concerns over the present and future security
of commercial audiovisual content that has been converted from digital to
analog format and reconverted to digital format.
Charter by CPTWG: Examine technologies and systems with a view to
identifying technological tools that may be relevant to addressing
security issues arising from the conversion of protected, commercial
audiovisual content from digital to analog format and reconversion to
digital format. The group would also consider the potential
application of such tools in the conversion of native analog material
to digital format. In accordance with CPTWG general expectations and
procedures for Work Groups:
- This Discussion Group is not intended to be in lieu of any other
public or private sector effort or activity.
- The work shall be limited to technical issues, provided, however,
that the Group may seek information as to availability of any
technology for general use.
- The Group may engage in or oversee testing, provided that no
selection among technologies for public or private implementation
is to be made by or recommended to the CPTWG.
- The Co-Chairs shall provided for an orderly and efficient
sequence of work, with a preference for face-to-face meetings, so as
to assure quality of work and adequate opportunity for participant
review, consistent with a recognition that expeditious progress
and completion of work are vitally important. Deadlines shall be
based on goals that can be reasonably attained, and should not be
arbitrary.
Scope of Work for the ARDG
Sequence of Work. Each of the steps listed below should, to
the extent reasonable, be accomplished in order:
- Summarily review work of previous CPTWG subgroups with
related charters, including the Data Hiding Subgroup (DHSG),
including review of expectations, objectives, and deliverables;
identification of any shortcomings from output.
- Identify objectives with emphasis on the system approaches
and possible locations at which the technologies may be applied.
- Define criteria to be met by the technologies that will be
reviewed.
- Employ an orderly process to request and collect information
relating to technologies that may meet the criteria and accomplish
objectives defined in (2) and (3), including, among other
information, information concerning the general availability of
such technology.
- Provide a forum for the discussion and, if appropriate,
comparative evaluation of information relating to the technologies
collected by the procedure in (4).
- Provide periodic progress reports to the CPTWG.
- Issue a report reflecting all views of ARDG
participants concerning the technologies.
Posted by Seth Schoen at January 16, 2003 11:57 PM