由於網際網路的盛行，許多產品或服務可以開始考慮由網路進行派送。特別是一些可以用0與1位元方式進行編碼的資訊或資料尤為適合。 基於在這樣的大環境之下， 本論文將著重於兩個部份的研究： 第一部份將設計一個新的商業模式，可以當作數位內容的發行商或通路商；第二部份將進一步闡述該商業模式在數位內容產業的應用模式。 本論文研究產生了幾個重要與有趣的研究發現。首先，虛擬通路商將會在未來數位內容的流通與發行上，扮演一個重要的角色。其次，虛擬通路商必須在”四流”(金流、物流、資訊流與商流)上扮演積極的角色，將有更大的機會可以勝出。再者，類似像點對點這樣的資訊科技將會非常適合用來應用在數位流通的議題之上，這些資訊科技也有助於提供虛擬通路商和其他競爭者間的差異化。最後，版權管理機制、智慧財產權管理、代收代付服務、會員募集與清算中心等服務，都是一個虛擬通路商可能應該關注的課題與建構成為核心能力的主要服務。 / Due to the high penetration rate of Internet, a lot of products and services could try to deliver on net; especially for those data or information could be transferred into the bits 0 and 1. Under this kind of circumstance, this research will focus on two parts: the first part is proposing a new business model of digital content distributor based on Gary Hamel’s theory; the second part is further elaborating the application of the business model in digital content industry based on the field studies. The research results in several important implications and discoveries on this topic. First of all, the virtual distributors will play an important role in the publishing of digital content; Secondly, the virtual distributors have to take care of “Four Key Flows”, including money flow、information flow、goods flow and Internet traffic, to enhance her services. Thirdly, some new IT technologies, like P2P technology, is very appropriate to apply into the business model of virtual distributors and it will be helpful to differentiate her services to those potential competitors. Finally, DRM service、Intellectual property management、Payment service、Member collection and Clearing house service are the major tasks that a virtual distributor should focus, but member collection and clearing service for consumers and digital content developers will be the first priority.

本研究是探討如何運用語意網規則語言(Semantic Web Rule Language, SWRL)來表示網路上的數位版權管理(DRM)。以XML為主的版權表達語言(Rights Expression Language, REL)因為無法處理具有語意內涵層級的版權管理規則，所以在概念表達和處理能力上有所限制。因此，我們運用了結合本體論(Ontology)和規則(Rule)語言的SWRL來探討比較現有XML為主的版權表達語言的不足，並以實作驗證本體論和規則結合所具有語意特性，讓使用者能在網路上加以應用數位內容。 / In this research, we show how to use Semantic Web Rule language (Semantic Web Rule Language, SWRL) for the digit rights management (DRM) on the Web. Since XML-based Rights Expression Languages (REL) can not deal with the right management policies at the semantic level, their expression abilities for concept descriptions are limited. Therefore, we use SWLR to contrast the insufficiencies in existing XML-based RELs. In summary, we take advantage of semantic-supported REL for DRM systems on the Web.

MP3與P2P的出現，打破過去唱片業者壟斷市場及通路的遊戲規則。面對網路盜版的猖獗，不只全球主要的音樂唱片公司，嘗試從法律面及技術面去尋求解決之道，對於未來的發展方向，許多廠商及也都在努力思考，如何經由科技應用、創新經營模式以搶得市場之先機。 自蘋果電腦力邀五大唱片商合作、率先揭櫫數位音樂大旗以來，其以線上音樂商店結合iTunes軟體及iPod數位音樂播放器的經營模式，可能就是管理、法律、科技相互配合，共同捍衛智財權的最佳範例。 本論文由音樂播放軟體系統競爭的角度切入，針對線上音樂廠商，面臨系統產品的標準競爭、網路外部性、產品相容性、互補性資產等議題，所採取的各項策略進行全面性探討，其中包括平台標準的建立與選擇、系統採開放或封閉模式、廠商最適垂直整合度等決策。 本研究除了從智慧財產管理、資訊產品特性、系統平台面看線上音樂產業之發展，也探討數位版權技術的應用、經營模式的改變、法律規範的嚇阻，如何克服網路盜版音樂猖獗的問題，更試圖整理目前線上音樂業者之經營模式、蘋果電腦領先之道以供後續廠商參考，並提出新的經營模式、網路經營觀念等促進線上音樂蓬勃發展之建議。

隨著網路普及而興起， MP3音樂檔案格式在1999年入選美國時代雜誌TIME 所公佈十大最佳網路科技。而MP3這項殺手級科技（Killer Application）更強力促進了線上音樂的盛行，尤其是自蘋果電腦聯合五大唱片商合作誕生出iTunes這種革命性的音樂經營模式出現後，合法授權線上音樂這塊市場更是呈現出爆發性的快速成長局面。 反觀台灣本地合法授權的線上音樂市場是呈現出滯留不前的局面。因這幾年唱片盜版問題遲遲不能解決，加上經濟環境之劇烈變化，除了造成台灣唱片市場在世界排名上的滑落，更造成後來國內幾家稍具知名度的線上音樂網站接連因服務與營運上的問題出現關閉的局面。而能夠存活下來的線上音樂業者如KKBOX在經營服務上相較於歐美多重選擇的線上音樂服務與內容，仍有許多待改進之處。 本研究希望嘗試探究現在既有的線上音樂網路商店之經營模式，分析各大業者在經營模式上的優缺，再針對台灣的特殊市場情況加以討論。期望本研究在最後所提出的經營策略建議能減低盜版市場的猖獗，為台灣合法線上音樂帶來經營新氣象，促進線上音樂產業蓬勃發展。

在數位內容下載市場蓬勃發展的同時，非法傳輸的流量亦不惶多讓，是以DRM機制成為了著作權利人進入網路世界的絕佳後盾，以DRM提高複製的門檻，並據以實施其商業模式，故於各數位內容核心產業皆可見DRM應用之蹤跡，卻同時引發了究竟DRM是Digital “Rights” Management 亦或Digital “Restriction” Management的爭議。是天使？或是惡魔？便形成了人們對於DRM的不同觀感。 本研究係從技術、法律以及管理三個面向分別切入，由技術面看DRM保護著作物之極限何在，由法律面看相關科技保護措施之立法造成何種影響，合理使用的空間是否因DRM之實施而造成限縮，接著由管理面向看DRM在數位內容產業價值鏈中所扮演之角色及其與價值鏈上各端權力角力衝突之關係，最後由標準面看目前DRM相關標準的運作以及互通性標準的發展趨勢。並從個案研究觀察DRM在不同產業情境中的應用。 本研究認為，DRM技術本身是中性的，其關鍵在於商業設計運用。而在盜版問題無法完全根絕之情況下，以DRM作為因應之道將使得受限內容之經濟價值不若自由流通之內容，因為內容產業的發展關鍵在於「人氣」，而盜版永遠無法取代創意與使用者對於內容之需求。因此，既然無法防堵非法傳輸之現象，則不妨與之直接面對面進行作戰，權利人既掌握了關鍵的內容，則可以針對盜版的弱點提供更優質的服務。就我國目前數位內容產業發展之情境來看，現階段或許有採取DRM進行保護的必要性，以便在推動合法消費市場之際，平衡兼顧保護著作權人以及著作利用人之權益。然而，在虛擬世界中欲全面防堵非法散佈有其技術上之侷限性，消費者亦多半養成了免費取得之使用模式與心態，因此長期而言，或許應設法從創新的商業模式來扭轉此態勢。 / Though the use of digital rights management (DRM) has been controversial, it is still widely used in the digital world. Advocates think of DRM as an indispensable way to prevent unauthorized duplication and dissemination of copyrighted works while opponents often suggest that the term “rights” should be replaced by “restriction” to best describe how DRM works. This thesis aims to analyze the issues of DRM from three perspectives. First starting with the technical point of view to see how DRM works and found out that DRM technology does have its limitation for copyright protection. That’s the reason why treaties and legislations such as the WCT, WPPT, and DMCA are needed to build the last ditch in the war with piracy. However, the attempt backfired as companies other than rights holders used it as a way to prevent market competition. As the rights holders can effectively control the access of their work with DRM, there comes another dispute about the “Paracopyright” effect. Most important of all, the use of DRM divests the users of the rights they had in the analog world, such as simply lending a book to a friend. From the perspective of management, a cost benefit analysis indicates that the benefit of using DRM to prevent unauthorized duplication obviously overwhelms by its cost and risk. In the context where the content providers, service providers, and device manufacturers all attempt to dominate the whole value chain, DRM also became one of the most powerful instruments for that purpose. Closed ecosystems are built one after another especially in the online music industry in order to bundle the consumers with specific players and music services and thus caused the antitrust issue. The online music industry and the e-book industry were chosen as case studies in the fourth chapter of the thesis. Based on different industry context, DRM strategy and its impact would differ and therefore results in a variety of business models. For example, the consumers in the US are relatively more aware of the use of DRM and are more willing to pay for authorized content. In contrast, the awareness of DRM of consumers in Taiwan is much lower and the price they are willing to pay is also far lower than what the music labels can accept. As a result, the streaming model prevails over pay-per-download model in the online music market of Taiwan. And the feasibility and necessity of DRM also varies in different industries. Before the digitalization of books, authors already had libraries providing free copies as piracy do today, and the prevalence of scanning machines and copy machines makes it even harder to prevent illegal file sharing. Accordingly, there is far less reason to use DRM in the e-book industry than in the online music industry. DRM technology is neutral in itself, and the key point is how it is designed based on different business models. The defect of DRM is neither a technical nor a legal issue, but rather a business issue. As piracy can never be eradicated, coping it with DRM would only make the value of restricted contents much less than freely distributed contents. Popularity is what really matters in the content industry. DRM has its technical limit and causes so many legal issues accompanied with the cost and risk of maintaining such fragile systems. What rights holders have in hand are the creativity and the market’s need for new content, which could never be replaced by piracy. So why not fight it face to face? Digital content industry is considered one of the most promising industries in Taiwan. However, local consumers have entrenched mindset of “free” contents. In present context, DRM is somehow needed while promoting the growth of legal market, in order to provide sufficient incentive to enrich the society with more and more creativity, and fairly protect both the rights of content providers and content users. But in the long run, a more creative or even subversive business model should be the solution to meet the trend of digital convergence.