FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, September 25, 2002

Video On Demand (VOD) and Interactive TV (iTV) Security Patent Issued to Widevine Technologies, Inc.™

Seattle, WA, September 25, 2002 – Widevine Technologies, Inc. announced today that the US Patent Office issued patent "U.S. 6,449,719 B1" covering the security of video and audio.

The patent provides intellectual property protection to Widevine’s Cypher VOD, Cypher Broadcast and Cypher Conditional Access products that provide a potent combination of VOD pre-encryption, real time broadcast encryption and key management. The patent issued to Widevine Technologies, as represented by Merchant & Gould, PC, provides protection in the areas of: content encryption; transaction processing; conditional access; rule based rights and entitlements; and flow control to include time shifting and trick play.

"The issuance of this patent has important implications to Widevine"; said Steve Hawley, Principal Consulting Analyst with Advanced Media Strategies. "Because content owners have begun to insist upon a common and consistent standard of media encryption for all types of delivery networks, the importance of an effective broadband encryption solution has truly come to the fore. While many legacy vendors are still developing solutions Cypher is available today. This patent protects Widevine's technology leadership by creating a substantial barrier to entry for potential competitors".

“Widevine was founded on the premise that broadband networks offer new and improved entertainment choices for consumers and require a corresponding new approach to security,” said Brian Baker, patent author, founder and CEO of Widevine. “While Video on Demand offers tremendous new revenue opportunities to cable operators, it also breaks the traditional security model. Cypher VOD, Cypher Broadcast and Cypher CA were developed to address the specific requirements of iTV in broadband networks. This recently issued patent protects the many unique aspects of the CA, Broadcast and VOD products. The Patent office has clearly recognized the unique offerings developed by Widevine and rewarded its partners, employees, and shareholders with the intellectual property protection that patents offer.”

About Widevine Technologies, Inc.
Widevine Technologies Inc. http://www.widevine.com makes encryption and key management systems enabling secure video services on broadband networks. Headquartered in Seattle, Widevine's products secure video services (VOD, broadcast channels, etc.) over cable, xDSL (telco), and fiber optic networks. Comprised of world-class engineers and experts in security and encryption, Widevine has developed a unique suite of technologies and products to secure the transmission of media, videoconferences and voice conversations across broadband networks.

About Cypher CA
Cypher is the industry leading software Conditional Access system. Cypher CA breaks the reliance on smart card based conditional access systems, significantly lowering the incremental cost per subscriber while protecting revenue for service operators. Utilizing the proven scalability and security of the DVB key management model, Cypher CA supports the expanded business models of interactive television (iTV) while protecting the revenue of service operators and the copyrights of content owners.

About Cypher Broadcast
Cypher Broadcast is the industry leading real time encryption solution for Broadcast media. The modular design allows the use of any encryption algorithm, is compatible with MPEG-2 / MPEG-4 encoders and transport protocols (MPEG, IP, ATM, etc.). The unique process by which encryption is applied at the application level is both persistent and transparent.

About Cypher VOD
Cypher VOD is the industry leading pre-encryption solution for Video on Demand. The modular design allows the use of any encryption algorithm and is compatible with all media servers and transport protocols (QAM, ASI, IP, ATM, etc.). The unique process by which encryption is applied preserves the use of all trick play functions (server or client controlled) and does not disrupt ad insertion processes. Cypher VOD is available immediately through Widevine and its partners.

About Advanced Media Strategies
Advanced Media Strategies (AMS) www.tvstrategies.com/about.htm advises telephone companies and other broadband service providers toward the successful introduction of high-value TV-based services for their residential subscribers, using existing lines. In addition, AMS helps technology suppliers define and introduce the products and platforms that enable these service providers to deliver TV.

About Merchant & Gould, PC
Over the last 100 years, Merchant and Gould www.merchant-gould.com has offered services exclusively in the practice of intellectual property law, including patent, trademark, copyright, unfair competition, trade secret, advertising, internet and computer law, and related litigation including both trials and appeals. With offices in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Atlanta, Denver, Seattle, and Washington, D.C., and more than 110 practicing attorneys, the firm is one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the United States.

Media Contact:
Eric Moser
Ruder Finn Chicago (for Widevine Technologies)
Tel: +1 312 329 3908
mosere@ruderfinn.com

All trade names, trademarks, and/or service marks appearing herein are owned by their respective holders.