feature protecting assets in an IT world
The media and entertainment industry is undergoing a profound
and dramatic transformation. Media assets are being distributed
electronically and freely to all parts of the world, both across digital
networks for the transfer of assets between professionals and
trusted partners, as well as the use of the Internet for distribution to
the consumer. While this opens up new revenue opportunities, it
also increases the chance of content being accessed and
redistributed without financial reward, either by organised pirates or
simply by consumers. Professional and amateur content is being
broadcast, downloaded and devoured in many more ways and
places than ever before. To date, attempts to control these assets
have proven difficult and resulted in alienating consumers, limiting
access and destabilising revenue. Companies like Civolution are
today designing and deploying watermarking and fingerprinting
technologies that help remove these issues and developing security
applications to expand from the ‘tools of protection’ to ‘enablers of
monetisation’. Emmanuel Josserand, marketing director of
Civolution, reports.
Content protection
in a digital world
I
n order to monetise content in a with encrypted solution) provides movie studios and service providers
multi-channel, multi-platform enhanced content security and such as PayTV operators. Consumers
media environment, content ensures traceability of individual would welcome earlier VOD release
owners must be able to identify copies, during tape or DVD duplication windows (at a premium rate), but
their content and track its usage. and upon file transfer or transcoding. content owners need assurances that
Where appropriate, they need to At the broadcast level, video new piracy attacks, such as camcorder
be able to automatically trigger content owners are increasingly recordings of the HD image, can be
actions that protect content from deploying watermarking to accurately deterred. Digital watermarking
unauthorised exploitation or which track their content on television. Such provides the solution by making it
help generate revenue. Increasingly,
Emmanuel
Josserand,
services help them to better control possible to identify the exact source of
they need to justify advertising spend marketing director content inventory, confirm/prove illegal copying.
with better measurement and
of Civolution.
airing of content and ensure contract Having already invested in high-
increased targeting and interactivity. compliance or renegotiate contracts definition and Video on Demand
Content identification technologies based on factual data. Media (VOD) infrastructures, platform
such as watermarking can provide executives can precisely evaluate the operators can expect attractive returns
solutions that protect content owner reach and performance of content, from this type of content with minimal
rights at every stage of the content precisely understand the impact of additional investment. In fact, early-
lifecycle, through all release windows, their assets and therefore establish an release HD movies could be one of
to ensure content is fully monetised. appropriate value. Sponsors, for the most concrete business
For instance, during the pre-release example, by determining reach, can opportunities of the next few years.
stage a media asset (audio or video) establish the real impact and ROI of Watermarking can also be used as
needs to be protected when it goes to their investments. an interactive triggering application,
post-production houses for dubbing, is Another example is the early- allowing ‘on the fly’ identification of
circulated for review or accessed for release HD movies which represent a content which could trigger a specific
preview. Forensic marking (combined significant revenue opportunity for application or user interaction. This can
32 l ibe l january/february 2010 l www.ibeweb.com
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