The Digital Media Project
Source GA21
Title
Exploration on Open Media Marketplace
Date 2009/02/08
No.
1215/GA21
Exploration on Open Media Marketplace
GA21 has assessed the Open Media Marketplace (OMM) idea described in dmp1191 as an
interesting candidate for development in the next 5-year term.
In simple terms the OMM is an environment where there are
1) Content Users who handle Content in the media value chain by playing different roles (e.g.
creator, advertiser, producer, promoter, aggregator, end user etc.)
2) Service Providers who support Users in the performance of their functions.
Note that at this stage the terms used in this document are not intended to strictly adhere to the DMP
Terminology nor introduce new definitions of terms. Of course in subsequent steps of the work full
alignment and extension of the terms will be made.
Both Content Users and Services Providers (collectively called Users in the following) utilise
standard Protocols. Specification of such Protocols is a possible activity that DMP could carry out.
DMP developed the Interoperable DRM Platform as a toolkit specification so as to enable any form
of media value chain to be set up. The tools were developed by taking inspiration from the functions
that media value chain users (used to) perform in traditional value chains. In the same fashion DMP
could develop the OMM Protocols by taking inspiration from the roles that exist today.
Table 1 provides a first list of Content Users.
Table 1 – Content Users
User
Acron.
Informal definition
Advertiser
AD
A User Creating Ad Resources
Aggregator
AG
A User collecting Content for the purpose of offering it to EndUsers
Creator
CR
A User Creating AV Resources
EndUser
EU
A User consuming Content Posted by Aggregators
Producer
PD
A User making Content in the form of final Product
Promoter
PM
A User Promoting Content of Advertisers, Creators and Producers
Table 2 provides a first list of Service Providers.
Table 2 – Service Providers
Service Provider
Create Metadata
Convert Unit
Acron.
CM
CU
Deliver Content
Edit Resource
Identify Content
Identify User
Post Content
Record Exception
DC
ER
IC
IU
PC
RE
Record
Transaction
Store Content
RT
SC
Informal definition
A SP who knows all content metadata, including licenses
A SP who converts money into points and viceversa (e.g. as in
dmin.it iPay)
A network service provider
A SP who offers audio-visual editing services
A DMP Content Registration Agency
A DMP User Registration Agency
An ISP for a specific delivery technologies
A SP who records point transactions not backed up by real money
(e.g. in the dmin.it iPay system)
A SP who records point transactions (e.g. as in the dmin.it iPay
system)
A SP who provides Content hosting services
Error! Reference source not found.Figure 1 provides a graphical representation of Content Users
and Service Providers active in the value chain considered for the model.
Figure 1 – Graphical representation of a value chain
Note that Green squares represent Content Users
Light blue squares represent Service Providers
A possible way to derive a list of all necessary Protocols is by carrying out the following sequence
of steps
1.
2.
3.
4.
Study all theoretically possible Nx(N-1)/2 interactions between the N Users identified
List the interactions that are meaningful
Describe the protocols that are needed to support the said meaningful interactions
Remove all duplicate protocols and obtain the minimal list
5. Determine the technology to be used in Protocol specification
6. Specify all Protocols that have been identified in 4., possibly using protocols that already exist
7. Define and specify whatever other Protocol that may be needed to support the business of a User.
In this way anybody can play a Role in the OMM by suitably combining Protocols (Note: Role is
defined as the ability of a User or Service Provider to execute one or more than one specific
Protocols).
It is useful to make the following disclaimers
1. The OMM provides the means to map media value chains from the real to the OMM. This
mapping is expected to open up new possibilities, not to lock the OMM into being a photocopy
of the real world
2. In a given OMM instance there is no guarantee that a particular service provider which performs
a useful role in a media value chain of the real world will continue to play a useful role in that
OMM instance
3. In a given OMM instance Users may freely decide to play the Role that is convenient to
implement their business model.
It is to be noted that, in order to have a really open OMM it is also necessary to give prospective
participants the ability to understand which Users already operate in a given media Value Chain.
Electronic Business Extensible Markup Language (ebXML) seems to offer a possible solution1 as it
claims to be “designed to create a global electronic market place where enterprises can find each
other electronically and conduct business”





Using exchange of XML messages
According to standard business process sequences
With clear business semantics
Using off the shelf purchased business applications
According to mutually agreed trading partner protocol agreements.
Therefore the OMM should provide
1. A set of standard Protocols by the use of which a User can exchange information with any other
User
2. The means to add new Protocols
3. The means for Users to configure a Role using any combination of standard Protocols
4. The means for Users to publish their Roles so that they can be discovered.
Table 3 provides a first list of OMM Protocols derived by applying the method outlined above.
Table 3 – First list of Protocols required by OMM
1
A brief introduction to ebXML is given in Error! Reference source not found. using material
available at [1].
NB: CRUD stands for Create, Read, Update, Delete
Protocol
Authenticate User
Authenticate Content
Communicate Credit
Communicate Debit
Credit Unit
CRUD Account
CRUD Assets
CRUD Campaign
CRUD Group
CRUD Licence
CRUD Licence
Template
CRUD Metadata
CRUD Metadata
Template
CRUD Playlist
CRUD Site
Debit Unit
Deliver Content
Edit Content
Generate Event
Negotiate Licence
Post Content
Query Content
Query Playlist
Query Site
Query User
Rate Content
Rate Group
Rate Playlist
Rate Site
Recommend Content
Recommend Playlist
Remunerate User
Request Service
Search Content
Search Group
Search Playlist
Search Resource
Notes
US1 requests IU to Authenticate US2
US1 requests IC to Authenticate Content
RT sends US1 notification that his Account has been Credited as a result of
a Transaction made by U2
RT sends US1 notification that his Account has been Credited as a result of
a Transaction made to U2
US requests CU to Credit Units to Account
US requests RT to CRUD Account
US requests SC to CRUD Assets
US requests PM to CRUD Campaign
US requests PC to CRUD Group
US requests CM to CRUD a Licence
US requests CM to CRUD a Licence Template
US requests CM to CRUD Metadata
US requests CM to CRUD Metadata Template
US requests CP to CRUD Playlist
US CRUDs Site
US requests CU to Debit Units to Account
US1 requests DC to Deliver Content to US2
US requests ER to Edit Resource
US generates Content Event and sends it to CM
US1 requests CM to assist in the development of Licence for US2
US requests PC to Post Content
US Queries CM about Content
US Queries CP about Playlist
US Queries PC about Site
US1 Queries RE about the Status of US2
US Rates a Content and sends Rating to CM
US Rates a Group and sends Rating to PC
US Rates a Playlist and sends Rating to CP
US Rates a Site and sends Rating to PC
US1 Recommends Content to US2
US1 Recommends Content to US2
US requests RT to Remunerate US2
US requests SP’s Service
US1 Searches Content from US2
US requests PC to list User Groups satisfying a search criterion
US requests PP to list Playlists satisfying a search criterion
US requests CM to List Resources satisfying a search criterion
Search Site
Search User
Select Content
US requests PC to list Sites satisfying a search criterion
US1 requests PC to list Sites satisfying a search criterion
US Selects Content for Delivery
For more details the reader is directed to dmp1191.
Everybody is invited to bring contributions on the following aspects
1)
2)
3)
4)
The nature and objectives of the project
The proposed process to develop the project
Relationships with Media Value Chain Ontology (MVCO)
Suitability of ebXML for the identified purpose or identification of additional technologies
References
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
http://www.tutorialspoint.com/ebxml/ebxml_introduction.htm
http://www.tutorialspoint.com/ebxml/ebxml_architecture.htm
http://www.tutorialspoint.com/ebxml/ebxml_business_process.htm
http://www.tutorialspoint.com/ebxml/ebxml_registry_service.htm
http://www.tutorialspoint.com/ebxml/ebxml_core_components.htm
http://www.tutorialspoint.com/ebxml/ebxml_usage_example.htm
http://www.freebxml.org/