FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, May 15, 2006
Widevine® Awarded Patent for Media Tracking
Digital rights management patent covers fingerprinting, identification and location of video and audio content
Seattle, Wash. May 15, 2006 –Widevine Technologies, Inc., the leading provider of downloadable conditional access (CAS) and digital rights management (DRM) today announced that the U.S. Patent Office has issued a new patent which provides intellectual property protection for media tracking.
The new patent U.S No.7,043,473 is intended to provide a licensed solution for monitoring the distribution of content on networks including the internet, mobile networks and multiple devices. Media tracking technology is one of many tools required for a comprehensive CAS and DRM solution to identify who is illegally distributing and consuming pirated content.
According to Glenn Morten, Chief Technical Officer of Widevine, "For many years Widevine has provided anti-piracy solutions to major movie studios to identify security breaches in the content distribution chain. Widevine’s technical vision provides a comprehensive CAS and DRM solution which allows for legal consumption of content on a wide range of wireline and wireless devices. Widevine helps operators expand their service domains and facilitates entertainment anywhere, at any time. With this new patent, Widevine also fosters forensic methods allowing content providers to feel secure that their revenues will be protected as mobile TV and new business models become a reality.”
Some of the important forensic concepts taught in this patent include: use of fingerprinting to enable content self identification; searching networks including the internet via crawler or similar techniques to locate content; searching multiple computing devices for content; and the reporting of media metrics to include location of the content.
“A recent Wall Street Journal article cited that U.S. movie studios are losing more than $6 billion annually to piracy. The issuance of this patent is significant to the reduction in global piracy losses,” said Brian Baker, Chief Executive Officer of Widevine. “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.”
This is the fourth issued patent for Widevine. Primary author of the patent is Reza Rassool, head of Widevine’s digital forensics initiatives. Other patents issued to Widevine include U.S. 7,007,170 B2; U.S. 6,449,719 B1; and U.S. 6,965,993 B2.
About Widevine Technologies, Inc.
Widevine is the leading provider of content security solutions for IP video operators worldwide. Widevine enables telco, cable, fiber, satellite, internet and wireless service operators to generate new revenue opportunities through the secure distribution, identification and tracking of digital content.
Utilizing a combination of downloadable conditional access and digital rights management techniques, Widevine Cypher® persistently encrypts both digital broadcast and video-on-demand (VOD) content, regardless of video infrastructure, network protocols or compression technologies. An innovator in the industry, Widevine invented the downloadable, solution Cypher Virtual SmartCard™ client which today protects more IP video set-top boxes and consumer electronics devices in the industry than any other vendor. Widevine Virtual SmartCard clients quickly and affordably enable operators to combat piracy on set-top boxes, personal video recorders and other devices within the home and beyond. Widevine Secured operators are guaranteed to encrypt studio and broadcaster content, across any video distribution network and on any Widevine Secured device.
Widevine is a privately held corporation headquartered in Seattle, WA, funded by Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO), Charter Ventures, Constellation Ventures, Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd (DNP), PaceSetter Capital Group, Phoenix Capital Partners, TELUS (NYSE: TU) and VantagePoint Venture Partners.
For more information see Widevine Technologies at www.widevine.com.
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. |
