ISO/IEC TR 21000-1:2004

ISO/IEC TR 2100-1:2004 describes a multimedia usage environment founded upon ubiquitous networks and aimed at encouraging new business models for trading digital content. In this environment, the traditional boundaries between content types blur as they are all treated as multimedia resources in new products and services. Additionally, individuals are becoming increasingly aware of the value, both commercial and intrinsic, of their own digital asset resources. ISO/IEC TR 21000-1:2004 addresses these issues through a vision of the "Multimedia Framework". This is intended to support transactions that are interoperable and highly automated, which are required to support these new types of commerce. Thus, the new MPEG-21 tools enable new techniques for the creation, collection, packaging and distribution of content.

The MPEG-21 Multimedia Framework is based on two essential concepts: the definition of a fundamental unit of distribution and transaction (the Digital Item) and the concept of Users interacting with Digital Items. The Digital Items can be considered the "what" of the Multimedia Framework (e.g. a video collection, a music album) and the Users can be considered the "who" of the Multimedia Framework.

The second edition of ISO/IEC TR 21000-1 has been prepared within ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 29/WG 11 to reflect the progress made on the definition of the MPEG-21 Multimedia Framework.