Once again, this past week was a busy one for the HTML5 space, featuring a bit of fun and some recurring issues surrounding digital rights management.

First up, more information was released regarding the upcoming DevCon5 HTML5 developers’ conference, particularly that the event will include an introductory track two-day course. Designed for beginners, this course will cover the best practices for designing HTML5 and JavaScript apps, along with recommendations on how to improve the performance of websites and apps. Other topics will include Node JS, JQuery and the future of HTML5.

Next, the original “Super Mario Bros” designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka that first appeared on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985 made its way to browsers around the world this week via HTML5. Remade by Joshua Goldberg, a computer science student at Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute, the game is a free, open source project. This means developers can tweak the code to modify or create new maps, while sprites can be generated by way of a high performance library and renderer.

Meanwhile, FlipHTML5 Software released a new offering called Flip HTML5, which leverages JQuery to allow users to easily create flip books using HTML5. Flip HTML5 can convert any standard PDF file — along with images and MS Office and Open Office documents — into interactive, professional-quality flipbooks. This includes a “real-life flipping effect and sound,” providing the reader with a reading experience similar to that offered by a real book.

Lastly, the Electronic Frontier Foundation had more to say about the potential inclusion of Encrypted Media Extensions, which are effectively a form of digital rights management, in the official HTML5.1 standard — and the group hasn’t changed its tune. Indeed, the EFF’s Danny O’Brien fears that this is the first step toward an Internet where viewing the page source of some sites will be off limits. The BBC, meanwhile, strengthened its support for DRM in HTML5, joining the likes of Google, Microsoft (News – Alert) and Netflix.

That about does it for this week, but for more news in this space, check out the HTML5 Report front page.