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watermark posts

85 percent of the 14 billion videos downloaded last year were illegal

by Ben Drawbaugh posted Jul 7th 2009 at 8:43PM

Down with DRM logoA new report from In-Stat indicates what we already suspected; because of the ridiculous DRM on digital downloads, most people are opting to obtain content illegally. Consumers will come up with just about any justification because the current offerings from Hollywood are just way too draconian to buy in to. For us that is good news and we can't wait for the video industry to follow the music's lead and give up on all of this overly complicated DRM, that really just doesn't work. Like us, In-Stat believes that watermarking will become the preferred way to control the distribution of digital content. It really is win-win because while consumers are free to use the content as they deem fit, it is very easy for Hollywood to catch up with them if they decide to share it with the whole world.

Audio watermarks let the MPAA know where a recording was taken, but not by whom

by Tim Stevens posted Mar 9th 2009 at 8:09AM

Audio watermarks let the MPAA know where a recording was taken, but not by whomWe've heard of some crazy audio watermark plans in the past, designed to prevent people from making copies of Hollywood blockbusters, and as the audio industry finally moves away from its protective restrictions, the film industry seems to just keep working on more. The latest, created by Professor Noboru Babaguchi and his colleagues at Osaka University in Japan, is a means to apply spread-spectrum audio waveforms to a film's multi-channel soundtrack, enabling pirate seekers to determine exactly (well, to within 44 centimeters) where the bootlegger was sitting when he or she committed his or her felonious deeds. Interesting, sure, but unless all theaters worldwide start assigning seats by name it's useless. Beyond that, there's nothing stopping an intrepid recorder from stashing a mic a few feet to the left or the right, thus implicating an idle popcorn-muncher. Will these flaws keep this technology from being implemented? Don't count on it.

[Via Slashdot]

Philips spins off watermarking business as Civolution

by Steven Kim posted Oct 21st 2008 at 4:07PM

Downloading from internet
There's no way that a big company like Philips can keep up with the rag-tag pirates on the interwebs, which might explain why the company has spun off its content watermarking business as Civolution. Not to be confused with TiVolution (which also is showing an increasing desire to watch what you watch), the new company also pulls the Philips/Medialink venture, Teletrax, into the fold to offer up broadcast TV metrics and complete the marketer's tech dream combo. Not great news for bootleggers, but it beats media-crippling DRM by a mile in our book. You didn't really think Philips was going to limit its reach to the hotel PPV circuit, did you?

Philips' VTrack watermarks content recorded with camcorders

by Darren Murph posted Apr 13th 2008 at 12:20PM


Certainly not the first watermarking scheme we've seen of late, Philips has introduced a new method that it hopes will thwart any plan to snag sensitive PPV material and distribute it illegally on the intarnetz. The VTrack solution, set to debut at NAB Show, is aimed at hoteliers who enjoy offering up PPV films well before the DVD release date. The company will be integrating the technology -- which makes content captured via camcorder traceable -- into its 26-, 32-, 37- and 42-inch HDTVs, and if someone does set up their own bootlegging studio and then share it with everyone on the web, content owners can unearth the time, date and location of the deed. In Soviet Russia (and hotels with Philips sets), content watches you.

Fox internet video, now with watermarks in every packet

by Steven Kim posted Apr 7th 2008 at 11:28AM

Fox hearts MediaEscortThe cat-and-mouse game of DRM is probably never going to end, but 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has signed up with USVO's MediaEscort technology to add watermarking to its arsenal. MediaEscort is suited for the growing internet streaming market, and embeds watermarks during content delivery. Thus, if either the legitimate recipient or an online interloper decides to "share the wealth," there's forensic evidence that can be used to figure out both where the leak occurred and how big it is. While we aren't big fans of DRM, it's really because of all the problems it inevitably causes legitimate end-users; watermarking is a different story. As watermarking grows in popularity, we'll see if efforts to strip watermarks grow to the level we currently see in DRM removal.

Verance rolls out audio watermarking for HD DVD / Blu-ray

by Darren Murph posted Jul 2nd 2007 at 11:01PM


It's been so long since we've heard anything serious about audio watermarking that we were beginning to worry, but for the hackers up for yet another challenge in the realm of high-definition film, your brief wait is (nearly) over. Verance Corporation has just announced the immediate availability of its audio watermark technology for licensing by manufacturers of Blu-ray and HD DVD players and components, which means that users will likely face another layer of content protection when trying to free their movies from the bondage of DRM. No word just yet on a timeframe in which this stuff will actually make its debut, but it is noted that the AACS is "is expected to release final license agreements requiring the inclusion of VCMS/AV detector technology in HD DVD and Blu-ray players in the coming months."




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