Firefox is reluctant to implement HTML5-drm

Firefox is going to build in support for digital rights management. Browser maker Mozilla says it is reluctant to do so; the organization is against drm in principle, but the alternative would be that services such as Netflix no longer work in Firefox.

Firefox will partner with Adobe to introduce HTML5 DRM support, because Adobe already has experience with integrating DRM in Flash, among others. The support has yet to be built in and then tested, so it will be some time before the functionality is available to users.

Users can choose whether or not to enable drm. Support is coming to Firefox for Windows, OS X, and Linux; the mobile Firefox versions and Firefox OS will not be supported for the time being.

Companies like Netflix, which rely on DRM to prevent users from ripping video streams, are currently using the DRM functionality of plug-ins like Flash and Silverlight to secure their streams. However, that approach is being phased out. Instead, the HTML5 standard has built-in support for drm. Through the encrypted media extensions API, companies can invoke DRM protection.

Mozilla is reluctant to build in the support, saying it has no choice. Other browser makers have already built in the support, and if Firefox alone doesn’t, that would make the browser a lot less useful. Firefox users would then have to switch to another browser if they want to use a video streaming service. The organization expects that HTML5-drm will soon be the only way to watch videos and music protected with DRM.

One of Mozilla’s objections is that the code to be used to implement drm must be closed. Otherwise, the copy protection could be undone. “This goes against Mozilla’s principles,” the organization wrote. Drm also takes control away from the user according to the browser maker.