Where can I learn more about Marlin?

To learn about the Marlin Technology, please refer to the Marlin Community website.

If I have signed the Component Manufacturer or Service Element Provider addendum, can I still get certified for Marlin compliance?

If you are a Marlin Component Manufacturer or Service Element Provider adopter, then the Licensed Component or the Licensed Service Element does not need to test for conformance and compliance according to the Marlin Client adopter and Service provider agreements.

How can I get my Marlin-based device or service implementation designated as being Marlin compliant?

For a device or service to be considered Marlin compliant, as a client or service provider adopter you must comply with:

  • The specifications (e.g., Marlin Broadband, Marlin IPTV-ES, MS3)
    • The applicable Conformance specifications provide test definitions to help establish if an implementation is conformant with those specifications
  • Robustness rules (regular and/or ECP rules)
  • Compliance rules (regular and/or ECP rules)
  • Trust Management Policies (also known as, Marlin Trust Management Documents (MTMDs) for Broadband or MS3 – available on the Operations or MS3 Operations sites)



Conformance Specifications

  • Conformance means that your device or service meets the applicable MUST, MUST NOT, REQUIRED, SHALL and SHALL NOT statements in the Marlin specification you have implemented.
  • Adopters can download the Conformance Test Specifications from the MDC at: Marlin Developer Community. This site hosts Conformance Test Specifications for Marlin Broadband and IPTV-ES.
  • Adopters can download the Conformance Test Procedures from the MTMO at marlin-trust.com/operations. Procedures for IPTV-ES and Marlin Broadband are provided.
  • You must submit the Short Form Robustness Questionnaire to the MTMO, and keep a copy of the Long Form Robustness Questionnaire on file at your company. A Word version of these Affidavits and Questionnaires (both General and ECP) can be downloaded by Adopters from: marlin-trust.com/operations
  • The MTMO will return to you an Acknowledgment of Conformance Affidavit (Note that there is a different Affidavit for Marlin Enhanced Content protection (ECP) Products that are expecting to access UHD, 4K or early release window content).



Compliance Rules

  • Compliance rules are included in Exhibit A (and Exhibit AA for Marlin ECP C&R Rules) of the Client Adopter Agreement or Exhibit A of the Service Provider Agreement and govern the permitted outputs and imports in your device or service implementation, for example, how audio and/or audiovisual content can be rendered, imported and/or exported.
  • The Affidavits mentioned above also cover Compliance (General and ECP) Rules.
  • Also available on the Operations website (marlin-trust.com/operations) is the Marlin Enhanced Content Protection Framework Overview, which outlines the general self- certification procedures for Marlin Client adopters seeking to provide Marlin Licensed Products that will provide access to Enhanced Content (e.g., 4k, UHD, or early release window content).



Robustness Rules

  • Robustness rules are included in Exhibit B of the Client Agreement (and Exhibit BB for ECP Robustness Rules) or Exhibit B of the Service Provider Agreement and govern level of protection required in your device or service implementation, for example, how well keys must be protected.
  • You must submit the Short Form Robustness Questionnaire to the MTMO, and keep a copy of the Long Form Robustness Questionnaire on file at your company. A Word version of these Affidavits and Questionnaires can be downloaded from marlin-trust.com/operations
  • You will receive from MTMO an Acknowledgment of receipt of your Robustness Checklists (regular and/or ECP).

 

The Common Test Keys are available for download by Adopters from: www.marlin-trust.com/operations. The Common Test Keys are useful for testing the above requirements.

If I choose to set up my own Delegated Certificate Authority (DCA) and do my own provisioning, what are the additional requirements I should anticipate?

The Trust Service Provider Agreement provides the detail of all obligations of a DCA. You can download and review a copy of the Trust Service Provider Agreement using the Request for Agreement/Documentation download form.

If I choose to set up my own Delegated Certificate Authority (DCA) rather than contracting with a Listed Service Provider, are there any additional agreements I need to sign?

Yes, you would have to sign the Trust Service Provider Agreement. This agreement can be obtained by filling out the Request for Agreement Form. The Annual Administration Fee associated with this agreement is US$ 20,000

If I have signed a Marlin Client or Service Provider Agreement, how can I contract with Seacert or Panasonic to provide trust services?

  1. Once you have signed a Marlin Client or Service Provider Agreement, you will be informed of Listed Trust Service Providers you can contract for key management services (Seacert and Panasonic are the sole providers of this service).
  2. Contacting Trust Service Providers

What can I expect to get when I sign the Marlin Service Element Provider Addendum instead of the full Marlin Service Provider agreement?

Service Provider LicenseeService Element Provider
Development Trust Infrastructure
Conformance Test Specifications
Access to member-only tools & information
Marlin Specifications
Production Trust Infrastructure
Development Trust Infrastructure
Access to Production Keys
Sell Licensed Service
Sell Licensed Service Elements to Service Providers
Annual Fee$10K$5K

What can I expect to get when I sign the Marlin Component Manufacturer Addendum instead of the full Marlin Client Adopter agreement?

  Client Licensee Component Manufacturer
Development Trust Infrastructure access
Conformance Test Specifications
Access to member-only tools & information
Marlin Specifications
Production Trust Infrastructure  
Development Trust Infrastructure  
Access to Production Keys  
Sell Licensed Product  
Sell Licensed Components to Clients
Annual Fee $20K $15K

If I am a Client Adopter licensee, and subcontract with a hardware manufacturer to provide components for my Marlin implementation, does my subcontractor need to sign the Client Adopter agreement as a component manufacturer?

No. Your subcontractor does not need to sign the component manufacturer addendum as long as:

  • The hardware manufacturer is not providing you with a licensed component, as described in Sect. 1.62 of the Client Agreement:

“Licensed Component(s)” means a component(s), such as an integrated circuit, circuit board, or software module that (i) is manufactured or distributed under valid Marlin Client Agreement; (ii) is designed solely to be assembled into a Licensed Product or Robust Licensed Component, and (iii) embodies some or all portion of the Marlin Specification, but which by itself is neither Compliant nor Robust.

  • The hardware manufacturer is subcontracted by you, with a contractual agreement that adheres to Section 2.1 (f) of the Client Adopter Agreement, whereby the:

“Client may conclude a written, binding agreement with any such subcontractor that effectively imposes on that entity such obligations to ensure that neither Client nor its subcontractor commits any breach of this Agreement, and may provide therein that the MTMO is a third party beneficiary of all subcontractors’ obligations imposed pursuant to this Section, but that the MTMO has no obligation whatsoever to subcontractor. Client shall take such actions as are reasonably necessary to secure compliance of its subcontractor with Clients obligations imposed under this Agreement, and shall be fully responsible under this Agreement for any breach or failure thereof by its subcontractor as if such breach or failure were the direct act of Client. Client acknowledges that the MTMO’s third party beneficiary rights, if any, with respect to such breaches or failures of its subcontractor do not in any way limit or diminish Client’s obligations under this Agreement or this Section, including without limitation the immediately preceding sentence.”

How do I sign up as a Client Component Manufacturer or Service Element Provider?

  1. As a potential adopter, you will need to fill out the Request for Agreement Form in order to acquire the Client Agreement (CA) or Service Provider Agreement (SPA).
  2. You will receive a zipfile that includes the agreement that you requested and any associated amendments as an attachment via email.
  3. Once receiving the agreements, fill in the contact information, signing the agreement, fill out Exhibit C, and sign any amendments that require signature. Send a scan of pages 1 and 61 of the agreement by one of the two methods:
    • Email a scanned copy of the filled out and signed pages (pages 1 and 61) to: [email protected], or
    • Faxing a copy of the signed pages to: +1 503-644-6708
  1. Note: Also, please mail 2 complete and signed copies of the agreement and amendments to: 3855 SW 153rd Ave, Beaverton, OR 97006 – USA
  2. MTMO will countersign both copies of the agreement and amendments and return one copy to the contact person at the location provided on page 1.
  3. MTMO will send you an invoice for the annual MTMO fee (the current fee for a Component Manufacturer Adopter is US$ 15,000, and Service Element Provider is US$ 5,000).
  4. Upon receiving payment, we will send you an email acknowledgement to your assigned contact person.
  5. You will then receive access to the Common test keys, the Conformance test specification, and other information.

Note: As a Component Manufacturer or Service Element Provider adopter, you will not get production keys.