Wednesday, 05 December 2007
MediaEscort is a software application that resides on customer’s video servers. It will automatically and seamlessly embed SmartMarks—invisible forensic information in every frame of video content—during Internet delivery, providing the proof courts need to protect intellectual property rights, indicting and convicting the individuals who steal the original material.
Using MediaEscort, copyright holders will be able to protect their content without restricting the fair uses of legitimate customers, including copying, archiving, and enjoying the content on different platforms at different times. MediaEscort’s SmartMarks work across all distribution and presentation channels and technologies, seamlessly providing an entire system for piracy protection without frustrating consumers, who will continue to have the freedom to enjoy content in their own way. In addition, MediaEscort’s SmartMark process will be fully compatible with DRM.
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Video Piracy PDF
Market
2006 saw a tremendous surge in companies deciding to distribute and sell video content over the Internet. Digital delivery of video grew rapidly after Apple Computer Inc. announced in October 2006 that five popular television shows would be available through its iTunes online store. Since then YouTube and other online video companies have become very popular with consumers, leading to numerous Hollywood studios moving to distribute their content online.
With video content being distributed over the Internet, piracy remains a great concern. MediaEscort is designed to meet the needs of this new market segment. The Motion Picture Association of America states the worldwide motion picture industry, including foreign and domestic producers, distributors, theaters, video stores and pay-per-view operators lost $18.2 billion in 2005 as a result of piracy. Companies use DRM (Digital Rights Management) to control and/or restrict the use and access of digital media content on electronic devices to prevent illegal copying. However, no DRM system is impervious to circumvention, as was reported recently by BBC News, when a program called Fairuse4wm was posted on the Internet and was said to be capable of bypassing Microsoft's DRM system. USVO believes watermarking is the best long-term solution for combating piracy. Since it does not impede consumers’ rights to fair use, and it stays invisibly within content so that it could be used to trace back to a pirate.
“Ultimately all distribution will be in a digital file based format. MediaEscort is our effort to make this type of distribution supported, and protected by a cost efficient embedding of SmartMarks. We have specified an application based on extensive conversations with distributors and prospective customers about their business models and workflow,” said Patrick Gregston, Head of Business Development for USVO.
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 05 December 2007 )