A Protected Digital Item Declaration Language for MPEG-21

Within the MPEG-21 Multimedia Framework, Digital Items are introduced as a structured digital representation for multimedia. To facilitate the representation of Digital Items which include secure or controlled content, the authors have implemented an IPMP Digital Item Declaration Language (IPMP DIDL). This provides for a protected representation of Digital Item structure, allowing the use of existing DRM systems and rights expression languages. This paper examines the design and implementation of the IPMP DIDL and its incorporation into MPEG-21 Part 4: IPMP Components.