Managing Rights Management

Digimarc and Sony Watermarking Patent Applications

Thursdays the USPTO publishes new patent applications. Today's Spotlight patent applications concern fingerprinting and watermarking, which continue to be hot topics. Assigned to Digimarc, the first application discloses techniques for using watermarking and fingerprinting as object identfiers with content distribution. Assigned to Sony, the second application discloses techniques for identifying... Read more →

Comcast Capitulates On Net Neutrality

According to this NYTimes article and other sources, Comcast has said that it will move to application neutral network management and disclose publicly its bandwidth management techniques. Tests by the Associated Press and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (among others) showed that Comcast was disrupting P2P traffic with forged packets. The... Read more →

Cinea Copy Protection and Boeing Watermarking Patents

On Tuesdays the USPTO issues new patents. Both of today's Spotlight patents address various ways of protecting media content. Assigned to Cinea, the first patent addresses techniques for optical content modulation for visual copyright protection. Assigned to Boeing, the second patent addresses watermarks for secure distribution of digital data. 7,346,185,... Read more →

Digimarc Spins Off ID Business

Watermarking vendor Digimarc has announced that it is selling its ID Systems business to L-1 Identity Solutions Inc. The sale leaves Digimarc free to focus its resources on its digital watermarking and licensing business. “This relationship comes at a particularly opportune time for Digimarc, as we are experiencing an inflection... Read more →

EXCLUSIVE - Macrovision's Eric Rodli Comments On Slysoft's Claimed Break of BD+

As noted here yesterday, Slysoft claims that it's AnyDVD (HD) 6.4.0.0 software will remove the BD+ security component of Blu-ray HiDef optical discs. When asked for a comment, Eric Rodli, Macrovision's Executive Vice President & General Manager of Entertainment, had this to say via email: “Macrovision does not comment on... Read more →

SlySoft Busts Blu-ray BD+ Security - Again

SlySoft is again claiming that it's AnyDVD (HD) 6.4.0.0 software will remove the BD+ security component of Blu-ray. So far no comment from Sony, Macrovision who acquired the BD+ technology late last year from CRI, or the bdplusllc licensing authority. I've asked Macrovision to comment, but so far no response.... Read more →

Ad Blocking Poll: Norton Internet Security

It's not clear whether under copyright law consumers can strip advertising from web pages. One legal theory is that the stripped page is a derivative work. Under copyright law, rightsholders can reserve the right to create derivatives for themselves. As noted, Symantec has dropped the adblocking feature from the 2008... Read more →

DirectTV Clamps Down

[I've been off doing a crash project for a client. Catching up today.] Several sources including this Ars Technica article by Eric Bangeman report that Direct TV has changed the rights management rules regarding the time to view recorded TV shows. DirecTV DVR owners got some bad news from the... Read more →

Copy Protection For Recording Devices Patent Applications

On Thursdays the USPTO publishes new patent applications. Both of today's Spotlight applications address copy protection / rights management for recording devices. Assigned to Sony, the first application discloses a security module in a recording device. The second application discloses copy protection techniques for devices, no assignee given. 20080072040, "Data... Read more →

Fingerprinting and Watermarking Issued Patents

New patents are issued by the USPTO on Tuesdays. Patents often indicate the kinds of technical issues that companies and individuals are thinking about. Today's Spotlight patents address various aspects of fingerprinting and watermarking. Assigned to Landmark Digital Services, the first of today's patents concerns techniques for recognizing unknown media... Read more →