Am I understanding this right that the idea is that if a member of W3C sues anybody for reverse engineering their DRM then they get kicked out of W3C?
I wonder how much of a deterrent that is. W3C needs Google/Microsoft/Apple more than they need W3C. The content producers aren't even members of W3C I don't think. I guess it would be companies that create the encryption plugins like Adobe that could theoretically sue people under the DMCA. I just don't see how the W3C could even function without the biggest players at the table.
No, the idea is that they have to sign a legally binding covenant beforehand, agreeing to not sue. If not then their DRM doesn't get into the standard in the first place.
They lose their court case. I'd imagine it's a pretty simple defence against a patent suit if you can present a covenant by the patent holder saying they won't sue.
I wonder how much of a deterrent that is. W3C needs Google/Microsoft/Apple more than they need W3C. The content producers aren't even members of W3C I don't think. I guess it would be companies that create the encryption plugins like Adobe that could theoretically sue people under the DMCA. I just don't see how the W3C could even function without the biggest players at the table.