When distributing electronic information over a network of computers, content providers often consider the risks of misappropriation of data. Many developers forego electronic media as a viable dissemination method because of the ease at which some may misappropriate the information. All information in digital form proves susceptible to endless reproduction. As such, provisions to protect information in digital formats will likely prove helpful to all.
In considering the intellectual property protections of both non-digital and digital media, content developers can find models to emulate in their efforts to secure information on the World Wide Web. Two methods, identity and dissemination, provide the intellectual property security of many media: Identity methods incorporate intellectual property protections onto the work itself, while dissemination methods control the means of distribution of information. Because of inherent disadvantages of each method in the context of the World Wide Web, a combination of methods provides the best security for web-based information.
To properly secure intellectual property on the World Wide Web, the protocol should work within existing internetworking standards. In the aim of seamless integration with existing technology, this protocol seeks to use the established standards of Netscape’s SSL, the World Wide Web Consortium’s PICS, and X.509 digital certificates to provide intellectual property protection to web-based content. While some augmentation of existing standards may be required, the results should appropriately degrade gracefully in the environment of the web.
While the implementation of intellectual property protections may present some issues for discussion, securing property rights over the World Wide Web offers content developers and authors the means to offer individual efforts to a large audience without the fear of theft or misappropriation. Such protections allow a greater emphasis upon benefits to the public—a means to promote the sciences and useful arts.