4C Entity
Encyclopedia
The 4C Entity is a consortium
formed by IBM
, Intel, Matsushita and Toshiba
to establish a common platform for digital rights management
schemes. The activities center around the Cryptomeria cipher
(also known as C2) which is a proprietary, patented cipher that needs to be licensed from the 4C Entity.
The 4C Entity has developed the Content Protection for Recordable Media
(CPRM) and the Content Protection for Prerecorded Media
(CPPM) schemes, sharing a lot of common features and therefore commonly known as CPPM/CPRM. The first successful implementation of the CPRM scheme is found in Secure Digital card
s (SD cards). The SD card DRM scheme is however almost never used and often not supported by card reader hardware. All card manufacturers are required to implement it however. The CPPM scheme is adopted for DVD-Audio
.
The 4C Entity also made a proposal for a sequel to the content-scrambling system (CSS) named CSS2, however after the first version was broken, the proposal was withdrawn.
Consortium
A consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal....
formed by IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, Intel, Matsushita and Toshiba
Toshiba
is a multinational electronics and electrical equipment corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of electrical products, spanning information & communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and...
to establish a common platform for digital rights management
Digital rights management
Digital rights management is a class of access control technologies that are used by hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals with the intent to limit the use of digital content and devices after sale. DRM is any technology that inhibits uses of digital content that...
schemes. The activities center around the Cryptomeria cipher
Cryptomeria cipher
The Cryptomeria cipher, also called C2, is a proprietary block cipher defined and licensed by the 4C Entity. It is the successor to CSS algorithm and was designed for the CPRM/CPPM digital rights management scheme which are used by DRM-restricted Secure Digital cards and DVD-Audio discs.- Cipher...
(also known as C2) which is a proprietary, patented cipher that needs to be licensed from the 4C Entity.
The 4C Entity has developed the Content Protection for Recordable Media
Content Protection for Recordable Media
Content Protection for Recordable Media and Pre-Recorded Media is a mechanism for controlling the copying, moving and deletion of digital media on a host device, such as a personal computer, or other digital player...
(CPRM) and the Content Protection for Prerecorded Media
Content Protection for Recordable Media
Content Protection for Recordable Media and Pre-Recorded Media is a mechanism for controlling the copying, moving and deletion of digital media on a host device, such as a personal computer, or other digital player...
(CPPM) schemes, sharing a lot of common features and therefore commonly known as CPPM/CPRM. The first successful implementation of the CPRM scheme is found in Secure Digital card
Secure Digital card
Secure Digital is a non-volatile memory card format developed by the SD Card Association for use in portable devices. The SD technology is used by more than 400 brands across dozens of product categories and more than 8,000 models, and is considered the de-facto industry standard.Secure Digital...
s (SD cards). The SD card DRM scheme is however almost never used and often not supported by card reader hardware. All card manufacturers are required to implement it however. The CPPM scheme is adopted for DVD-Audio
DVD-Audio
DVD-Audio is a digital format for delivering high-fidelity audio content on a DVD. DVD-Audio is not intended to be a video delivery format and is not the same as video DVDs containing concert films or music videos....
.
The 4C Entity also made a proposal for a sequel to the content-scrambling system (CSS) named CSS2, however after the first version was broken, the proposal was withdrawn.