Category: Uncategorized

Uncategorized

Atzio’s Peer-to-Peer Television

Atzio, a content delivery software company, have developed a form of peer-to-peer distribution for television networks. They predict that P2P will revolutionise the legitimate delivery of TV and video content via the web, whilst broadcasters like the BBC are looking at using the peer to peer technologies to make content distribution cheaper.

Atzio have combined time-shifted media with a “data swarming” mechanism to lower distribution costs – as in the P2P model, a piece of media is divided into small blocks and downloaded from multiple hosts using bandwidth from each machine’s internet connection. Using this technology, a broadcaster does not have to buy huge amounts of bandwidth as its audience effectively becomes the distribution method. A welcome side effect of this model is that, the higher the demand is for a piece of content, the easier it is to get as it will be stored in more places.

The BBC have looked at P2P, amongst other options, for the distribution of their Creative Archive and other content. P2P systems like this are ideal for distributing large files to many users, such as entire films, TV programmes or games – and can be extremely cheap as customers do the distribution for the content publisher.

Atzio’s Peer to Peer Television uses a custom client to secure content against unauthorised copying and distribution, with an integrated playback interface. The network is closed and controlled by the content provider, so unauthorised or infringing materials cannot be distributed and quality of product is assured. Users can browse a content provider’s catalogue for titles and then download them immediately (like video on demand), to a schedule (like a PVR), or add them to their wishlist for viewing much later. A system of this type could replace a DVD-by-post business model quite easily.

The network is compatible with the major DRM systems out there, including Windows, DivX and Real Networks.

How Peer to Peer Television works

Secure DVD Players for BAFTA Judges

The British Academy of Film and Television will be supplying judges with secure DVD players from Cinea for this year’s award season. The move is intended to answer studio’s concerns that “screener disks” sent to judges for consideration sometimes end up being pirated and ending up on the internet. Cinea’s secure players have already been used for the Oscar awards, following the MPAA’s campaign to halt the distribution of screener disks.

The specially encrypted disks will only play in Cinea’s S-VIEW sv300 DVD players, though the players themselves can play ordinary DVDs too. Disks are sent to the authorised viewer and are initialised and marked with the player identity when inserted into the sv300. By initialising the disks in this way, studios will know which player the disk came from if it ever goes astray.

“We are very pleased to be working with Cinea to give our members the opportunity to receive secure screeners. The British Academy takes the threat of piracy very seriously, and we welcome any solution that can reduce the risk of unauthorized copying.” said David Parfitt, Chair of BAFTA’s Film Committee.

Variety is reporting that it will cost studios US$25,000 (€20,650) per film, plus a license fee to Cinea, to secure the screener disks with the S-VIEW system. Cinea will pay for the players and encoding themselves, and is in discussion with studios for further uses of the S-VIEW technology to secure the post-production process for film makers. It can be used for the secure distribution of dailies and other works in progress, ensuring that digital copies don’t end up being leaked onto the internet. Something that was almost impossible with 35 or 70mm film.

Each sv300 player is individually addressable, allowing distributors to decide exactly who views their content, from large groups of thousands to a single individual.

Cinea

BAFTA

French Consumer Group Takes Action Against Copy-protected CDs

Consumers in France have taken legal action against EMI and retailer Fnac, accusing them of deception, because of copy-protection techniques used on CDs. They are unhappy because the copy protection scheme employed by EMI prevents the discs being played on some car stereos, home CD players and PCs – and also stops owners from making personal copies. This contravenes legislation passed in France 1985, stating that consumers can make copies of CDs for personal use.

UFC-Que Choisir is seeking damages for consumers through the legal action, and consequently Fnac and EMI face a fine of up to €188,000 (UK£126,350), if the group is successful. They may also have to remove all copy-protected CDs from sale.

Fnac say that they are confident that they will not be fined, as they claim to have taken adequate steps to inform customers of the potential problems with copy-protected CDs.

UFC-Que Choisir have another copy-protection case going through the courts at the moment, this time concerned with consumers prevented from transferring tracks from CD to portable players.

Que Choisir

Microsoft Launch “Plays For Sure” Campaign

Microsoft are keen to emphasise the range of support for Windows Media is in the market, from music stores to hardware players, though the freedom of choice can paradoxically confuse consumers.

Consequently, they’re planning a campaign to bring its forthcoming music store, Windows Media and the wide selection of compatible music players out there together. The “Plays For Sure” campaign is intended to inform consumers about Windows Media compatibility, so they know what tunes will play where and on what.

The campaign will also include a certification programme for hardware manufacturers and, once passed, their devices will be able to carry a “Plays For Sure” logo. Music stores selling tracks in Windows Media format will also be eligible to carry the logo.

Microsoft will be sure to play up the contrast between the amount of software and hardware support for its own technologies, contrasted with limited support for Apple’s iPod and Sony’s own Network Walkman offerings. Indeed, the move will contrast sharply with Apple’s own attempts to limit the iPod’s compatibility with other platforms.

A Plays For Sure website is coming soon, and the timing for the campaign is set to coincide with the range of new players will be appearing later this year that have enhanced Windows Media 10 compatibility through Microsoft’s Janus technology.

Microsoft’s Windows Media

MPAA Takes Action Against Chip Manufacturers

The Motion Picture Association of America has sued two chip manufacturing companies for selling integrated circuits to manufacturers that produce non-approved DVD players.

The MPAA isn’t happy that the makers of some DVD players deviate from the the agreed standards and produce appliances that do not feature the full range of DRM features. Consequently, the MPAA is suing Sigma Designs and MediaTek for distributing Content Scramble System chips to such companies, and thus breaking their original license agreement to distribute the chips only to other CSS-licensed outfits.

CSS and related DVD technologies are controlled by a technology group called the DVD Copy Control Association, and any manufacturer must agree to their contract terms before they can work with the format.

Dan Robbins, MPAA Chief Technology Counsel said: “Responsible corporate citizens honour the contracts they sign. There is no leniency for irresponsible companies that seek to circumvent the system and operate outside of the law.”

This latest action from the MPAA shows that they are keen to use a variety of techniques to protect their business – this doesn’t revolve around copyright law like previous instances, this is about contracts.

DVD Copy Control Association

Microsoft Music Store and Window Media 10 This Week?

The new MSN Online Music Store is rumoured to appear this week, along with a new version of Windows Media Player.

Since Windows Media Player’s 100 million or so users will need to update their player shortly, what better opportunity to introduce them to a new music service?

The Microsoft online store is expected to carry the industry standard one million tracks when it launches, having signed deals with the big four labels. Early screen grabs of the service, now out of date, pay homage to iTunes in look and feel. Pricing is also expected to be similar to iTunes and Napster. So expect the European and UK stores to cost more.

Microsoft claim that the service will be compatible with about 60 music players, with even better functionality promised for Janus-compatible players when they start to appear.

Needless to say, we’ll be signed up and testing as soon at the store hits the web.

It’ll be linked off MSN when it launches

P2P Networks Not Responsible for Copyright

Whilst acknowledging that copyright infringements do happen on P2P networks, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco has ruled that P2P network owners and software developers can’t be held responsible for them.

Ironically, this is the same appeals court that ruled against Napster in 2001. The difference this time? Napster kept a catalogue of all available titles on a central server. The court made reference to the oft-quoted 1984 Sony Betamax case where film studios attempted to ban video recorders – the Supreme Court ruled that being potentially able to infringe copyright was not reason to ban a technology with legitimate uses.

The presiding judge, Sidney R Thomas said: “The introduction of new technology is always disruptive to old markets, and particularly to those copyright owners whose works are sold through well- established distribution mechanisms. History has shown that time and market forces often provide equilibrium in balancing interests, whether the new technology be a player piano, a copier, a tape recorder, a video recorder, a personal computer, a karaoke machine or an MP3 player.”

He then went on to point out how well studios had done out of home video sales, demonstrating that they were now worth more than cinema ticket sales.

Michael Weiss, head of StreamCast Networks, said in a statement:”As CEO, I am proud that Morpheus has become the first American P2P company to successfully win its fight for the right to continue to develop innovative new distributed communications technologies. In today’s ruling, the 9th Circuit Court has affirmed our strong conviction from day one that developing Morpheus was not just legally our right, but morally was the right thing to do.”

The MPAA and RIAA will not be pleased – the next stop for them is Washington, and Congress.

StreamCast

EU Delays Microsoft DRM Decision

EU anti-trust regulators have decided to postpone their decision on whether or not to review Microsoft and Time Warner’s joint acquisition of ContentGuard, a digital rights management company.

Microsoft has invested in ContentGuard for some time now, and along with Time Warner have sought to strengthen their position in the DRM market. Time Warner, as one of the world’s leading content houses, also has a lot to gain from the acquisition.

The EU commission usually has a month to decide if it wants to investigate a deal like this further, and though in this case it has opted for a two week extension to 25th August. The extension has come about because the two companies have submitted remedies to some concerns raised by the commission.

ContentGuard, who developed the Extensible Rights Markup Language, holds a number of patents which are licensed to Sony, Microsoft and others. The patents were in turn developed at Xerox PARC and some of these patents have been adopted as standards by the Motion Picture Experts Group.

ContentGuard

Open Mobile Alliance Publish DRM Standard Version 2

The Open Mobile Alliance have officially published version 2 of their DRM standard. Supported by Nokia and Arpa amongst others, the standard incorporates the Open Digital Rights Language.

The standards are open source and available without any obligations or licensing requirements. Permissions and restrictions are as simple as possible, being limited to play, display, execute, print and export for Permissions, and count, timed-count, datetime, interval, accumulated, individual and system for Restrictions. Combined, these mean that content can be protect from unauthorised sharing, or viewed only a fixed number of times.

OMA began working on the standard in 2001 in response to market demand and has steadily upgraded the specification as networks, content and end-users have become more sophisticated.

The Open Mobile Alliance

First Destructive Phone Virus in the Wild

Cracked copies of Mosquito, a game for Series 60 phones, have a little extra – a dialler that sends SMS texts to premium rate numbers. Pirated software has always been a popular vector for virus and Trojan infections, but this is the first time it’s been observed in mobile phones. Risk of infection is yet another reason why consumers should stay away from copied games and applications – you don’t know where they’ve been.

In this case, the dialler was actually included and written by the company, Ojom, who produced the game as a form of revenge for pirating it. The dialler was removed as it didn’t work as required – and you guessed it, old copies with the dialler appeared on the internet.

The dialler is not strictly a virus – it doesn’t reproduce and finds its way onto your system by hiding in something else, so it’s properly identified as a Trojan horse. In this case, the infection can be removed by un-installing the game.

Ojom Games