Multimedia delivery in the future internet

The term “Networked Media” implies that all kinds of media including text, image, 3D graphics, audio and video are produced, distributed, shared, managed and consumed on-line through various networks, like the Internet, Fiber, WiFi, WiMAX, GPRS, 3G and so on, in a convergent manner [1]. This white paper is the contribution of the Media Delivery Platform (MDP) cluster and aims to cover the Networked challenges of the Networked Media in the transition to the Future of the Internet. Internet has evolved and changed the way we work and live. End users of the Internet have been confronted with a bewildering range of media, services and applications and of technological innovations concerning media formats, wireless networks, terminal types and capabilities. And there is little evidence that the pace of this innovation is slowing. Today, over one billion of users access the Internet on regular basis, more than 100 million users have downloaded at least one (multi)media file and over 47 millions of them do so regularly, searching in more than 160 Exabytes1 of content. In the near future these numbers are expected to exponentially rise. It is expected that the Internet content will be increased by at least a factor of 6, rising to more than 990 Exabytes before 2012, fuelled mainly by the users themselves. Moreover, it is envisaged that in a near- to mid-term future, the Internet will provide the means to share and distribute (new) multimedia content and services with superior quality and striking flexibility, in a trusted and personalized way, improving citizens’ quality of life, working conditions, edutainment and safety. In this evolving environment, new transport protocols, new multimedia encoding schemes, cross-layer inthe network adaptation, machine-to-machine communication (including RFIDs), rich 3D content as well as community networks and the use of peer-to-peer (P2P) overlays are expected to generate new models of interaction and cooperation, and be able to support enhanced perceived quality-of-experience (PQoE) and innovative applications “on the move”, like virtual collaboration environments, personalised services/ media, virtual sport groups, on-line gaming, edutainment. In this context, the interaction with content combined with interactive/multimedia search capabilities across distributed repositories, opportunistic P2P networks and the dynamic adaptation to the characteristics of diverse mobile terminals are expected to contribute towards such a vision. Based on work that has taken place in a number of EC co-funded projects, in Framework Program 6 (FP6) and Framework Program 7 (FP7), a group of experts and technology visionaries have voluntarily contributed in this white paper aiming to describe the status, the state-of-the art, the challenges and the way ahead in the area of Content Aware media delivery platforms

REMNANTS OF NET NEUTRALITY: POLICING UNLAWFUL CONTENT THROUGH BROADBAND PROVIDERS

The 2015 Open Internet Order, released by The Federal Communication Commission (FCC), introduced sweeping, new rules that promised to preserve an equal and open Internet to consumers. These rules, otherwise known as “Net Neutrality,” prohibited broadband and internet service providers from impairing, blocking, or throttling access to “lawful content” online. But with a new administration and agenda, the FCC’s 2017 Restoring Internet Freedom Order repealed Net Neutrality. Since then, various states have pushed back against the repeal, with some adopting their own versions of the 2015 Open Internet Order’s Net Neutrality, keeping most of the rule language intact, including the “lawful content” distinction. As a result, unlawful content is not subject to Net Neutrality rules and providers are free to block access to such content. But difficulty lies in the classification of content as lawful or unlawful. This Note contends that large-scale copyright infringement such as digital piracy falls under the unlawful content category. With the proliferation of the Internet, digital piracy has taken a large economic toll on American media, leaving the private and public sector without a long-term, efficient solution. This Note argues, whether Net Neutrality survives at the federal or local level, that internet service providers are within their legal rights to block and impair access to digital piracy sites, applications and other unlawful content online

CHORUS Deliverable 2.2: Second report - identification of multi-disciplinary key issues for gap analysis toward EU multimedia search engines roadmap

After addressing the state-of-the-art during the first year of Chorus and establishing the existing landscape in multimedia search engines, we have identified and analyzed gaps within European research effort during our second year. In this period we focused on three directions, notably technological issues, user-centred issues and use-cases and socio- economic and legal aspects. These were assessed by two central studies: firstly, a concerted vision of functional breakdown of generic multimedia search engine, and secondly, a representative use-cases descriptions with the related discussion on requirement for technological challenges. Both studies have been carried out in cooperation and consultation with the community at large through EC concertation meetings (multimedia search engines cluster), several meetings with our Think-Tank, presentations in international conferences, and surveys addressed to EU projects coordinators as well as National initiatives coordinators. Based on the obtained feedback we identified two types of gaps, namely core technological gaps that involve research challenges, and “enablers”, which are not necessarily technical research challenges, but have impact on innovation progress. New socio-economic trends are presented as well as emerging legal challenges

PEER-TO-PEER 3D/MULTI-VIEW VIDEO STREAMING

Abstract The recent advances in stereoscopic video capture, compression and display have made 3D video a visually appealing and costly affordable technology. More sophisticated multi-view videos have also been demonstrated. Yet their remarkably increased data volume poses greater challenges to the conventional client/server systems. The stringent synchronization demands from different views further complicate the system design. In this thesis, we present an initial attempt toward efficient streaming of 3D videos over peer-to-peer networks. We show that the inherent multi-stream nature of 3D video makes playback synchronization more difficult. We address this by a 2-stream buffer, together with a novel segment scheduling. We further extend our system to support multi-view video with view diversity and dynamics. We have evaluated our system under different end-system and network configurations with typical stereo video streams. The simulation results demonstrate the superiority of our system in terms of scalability, streaming quality and dealing with view dynamics

Walk a Mile in the Shoes of a Copyright Troll: Analyzing and Overcoming the Joinder Issue in BitTorrent Lawsuits

This Comment analyzes the issues surrounding joinder of copyright infringers who use BitTorrent, explores how joinder can be used and limited to create a more viable solution for copyright holders and consumers, as well as, supplements the sparse regulations that encompass joinder to create a rule that accommodates this technological era. Part II explains Copyright Law and the procedural aspects of a copyright infringement suit and joinder of defendants. Part III delves into the history of peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing lawsuits and provides an illustration of where case law rests today regarding P2P networks. Part IV describes the BitTorrent network and explains the way that content is transferred between users. Part V highlights the issues that piracy presents and the arguments that the “Doe” defendants have proposed against joinder, and then proceeds to counter those arguments. Part VI suggests joinder should be an available option in an effort to prevent illegal behavior and promote efficiency. It proposes a test that would establish limitations that would help ease the burden on defendants by preventing copyright holders from abusing their powers while balancing the copyright holders\u27 interests in guarding their rights. Part VII reiterates the necessity for joinder and analyzes the current and future positive impact on businesses that joinder will produce

A credit-based approach to scalable video transmission over a peer-to-peer social network

PhDThe objective of the research work presented in this thesis is to study scalable video transmission over peer-to-peer networks. In particular, we analyse how a credit-based approach and exploitation of social networking features can play a significant role in the design of such systems. Peer-to-peer systems are nowadays a valid alternative to the traditional client-server architecture for the distribution of multimedia content, as they transfer the workload from the service provider to the final user, with a subsequent reduction of management costs for the former. On the other hand, scalable video coding helps in dealing with network heterogeneity, since the content can be tailored to the characteristics or resources of the peers. First of all, we present a study that evaluates subjective video quality perceived by the final user under different transmission scenarios. We also propose a video chunk selection algorithm that maximises received video quality under different network conditions. Furthermore, challenges in building reliable peer-to-peer systems for multimedia streaming include optimisation of resource allocation and design mechanisms based on rewards and punishments that provide incentives for users to share their own resources. Our solution relies on a credit-based architecture, where peers do not interact with users that have proven to be malicious in the past. Finally, if peers are allowed to build a social network of trusted users, they can share the local information they have about the network and have a more complete understanding of the type of users they are interacting with. Therefore, in addition to a local credit, a social credit or social reputation is introduced. This thesis concludes with an overview of future developments of this research work

Survey on QoE/QoS Correlation Models for Video Streaming over Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks

Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANETs) are a new emerging technology which has attracted enormous interest over the last few years. It enables vehicles to communicate with each other and with roadside infrastructures for many applications. One of the promising applications is multimedia services for traffic safety or infotainment. The video service requires a good quality to satisfy the end-user known as the Quality of Experience (QoE). Several models have been suggested in the literature to measure or predict this metric. In this paper, we present an overview of interesting researches, which propose QoE models for video streaming over VANETs. The limits and deficiencies of these models are identified, which shed light on the challenges and real problems to overcome in the future

From Sony to SOPA: The Technology-Content Divide

Copyright law, which is intended to provide creative rights and financial protection to content creators, has been challenged by technology innovators whose products have the potential to promote free speech, but could also be used to infringe on or facilitate infringement of existing copyright. From the invention of the printing press, technological innovations in communication have been accompanied by concerns for how the technology impacts copyright protections. The advent of the Internet and electronic devices spurred unprecedented accessibility and connectivity of information and ideas, while courts, regulators, and legal scholars in the United States sought to clarify how copyright law applied to these technologies. This case reviews the recent history of copyright law and explores the conflict between three stakeholders in intellectual property law: copyright holders, technology producers, and legislative enforcers. Beginning with the decision of Sony v. Universal Studios (known colloquially as the “Betamax case”) in 1984 and culminating with the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in 2011, the legal precedents for intellectual property have yet to mutually satisfy copyright holders and technology producers. Addressing the Digital Millenium Copyright Act as well as peer-to-peer, torrenting, and other file sharing platforms, this case provides an overview of the touchstone technology and the verdicts associated with these products. This background note prepares students to analyze the 2011 SOPA legislation and discuss its repercussions for copyright law and technological innovation. During class discussions, students analyze the SOPA legislation and articulate their opinions on how it would impact various stakeholder groups. Students then work in groups to amend the legislation with the goal of creating a bill more likely to be signed into law