ISO/IEC 21000-6:2004 PDF

Overview

ISO/IEC 21000-6:2004 - part of the MPEG‑21 multimedia framework - specifies the Rights Data Dictionary (RDD). The RDD is a structured, prescriptive dictionary of uniquely identified Terms designed to support the MPEG‑21 Rights Expression Language (REL) (ISO/IEC 21000‑5). Together with its methodology and governance rules (Annexes A–C) and a supporting database, the RDD System enables accurate exchange and automated processing of rights and permissions for Digital Items.

Key topics and technical requirements

• RDD Structure and Ontology: Clause 5 and Annex A describe the RDD’s ontology, Family Tree, Term attributes and how meaning is inherited across ActTypes and Terms.
• REL Integration: Clause 5.2 and Clause 6 show how standardized RDD ActTypes map to REL Multimedia Extension Rights to provide semantic content to ISO/IEC 21000‑5.
• Prescriptive but Inclusive Dictionary: The RDD defines a single authoritative meaning per RddAuthorized TermName while supporting mappings to external Authorities and alternative Headwords to preserve semantic integrity.
• Namespace mapping and metadata transformation: The RDD System must support mapping Terms across different namespaces (Authorities) so metadata can be transformed between terminologies.
• Registration Authority governance: Annex C defines requirements for a Registration Authority responsible for approving new Terms, managing mappings, and ensuring quality and consistency.
• Automated term lookup and audit trails: The specification requires automated term lookup and audit provisions to track additions, amendments and deletions (audit attributes and access status).
• Style and editorial rules: Annex B provides rules and style guides for textual elements, headwords and definitions.

Applications and users

Who uses ISO/IEC 21000‑6:

• Content owners, publishers and rights holders for consistent rights labeling
• DRM and rights-management vendors implementing MPEG‑21 REL support
• Metadata architects and integrators performing cross‑namespace mapping or metadata transformation
• Platform operators, digital libraries and archives managing entitlement and usage metadata
• Standards bodies and Registration Authorities governing term registration and interoperation

Practical uses:

• Standardized metadata for licensing, permissions and usage statements
• Interoperable exchange of rights information across systems and jurisdictions
• Automated rights processing in content delivery chains (cataloguing, entitlement checks, analytics)

Related standards

• ISO/IEC 21000‑5: Rights Expression Language (REL) - primary consumer of RDD Terms
• Other parts of MPEG‑21 (Part 1, 2, 3, 7, etc.) - RDD fits into the broader MPEG‑21 multimedia framework for Digital Items

Keywords: ISO/IEC 21000‑6, MPEG‑21, Rights Data Dictionary, RDD, Rights Expression Language, REL, digital rights, metadata mapping, Registration Authority, digital item rights.