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Internet File-Sharing, Illegal Movie Downloads and In-Theatre Camcording Continue to Plague Film Producers
Hollywood and the Digital Media Industry Turns to Technology to Help Reduce Global Movie Piracy
| Source: DigitalMediaStocks.com; USA Video Interactive Corp.
POINT ROBERTS, WA and DELTA, BC -- (MARKET WIRE) -- May 15, 2007 -- www.DigitalMediaStocks.com,
an investor and industry news portal for the digital media sector, reports
on issues of movie piracy and the escalating problems film makers face with
Internet file-sharing, illegal downloads and in-theatre camcording. USA
Video Interactive Corp. (OTCBB : USVO ) (TSX-V : US ) (BERLIN : USF ) (FRANKFURT : USF ), developer of anti-piracy products, discusses how they are providing
Hollywood with digital watermarking technology to 'embed the proof to catch
the crooks.' Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA) and
Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association (CMPDA) identify key
drivers to the growing rates of piracy and explain their efforts as they
continue to be strong industry voices calling for changes through
education, innovative technology and stronger policies.
Over the past few years movie piracy has cost the film industry billions of
dollars, with 2005 alone estimated at over $18 billion globally. These
costs have made resolving this problem a key priority for many major
Hollywood studios and industry participants who have seen the piracy
problem taking a bigger and bigger share of their box office returns.
According to Elizabeth Kaltman, Communications Director, Motion Picture
Association of America, Inc., "There are a number of factors that have led
to the proliferation of film piracy in the U.S. and abroad. Improved
technologies that enable faster downloads and file-sharing, combined with
increased broadband width, enhanced infrastructure and accessibility have
enabled millions more users to engage in online movie theft."
Helping Hollywood to better protect their content is USA Video Interactive
Corp. (OTCBB : USVO ) (TSX-V : US ) (BERLIN : USF ) (FRANKFURT : USF ), developer
of anti-piracy products surrounding digital watermarking technology. The
Company is currently working with a major Hollywood studio, recently
delivering the first installment of its MediaEscort™ product specific
for protecting content distributed over the Internet through the seamless
embedding of SmartMarks.
For some regions around the world, the lack of strict and prohibitive
legislation has added fuel to the piracy fire. Canada in particular has
been under the microscope as this area has become a major source for movie
piracy and a thorn in Hollywood's side. Warner Bros. Entertainment recently
cancelled promotional public screenings in Canada in an attempt to minimize
the number of illegal copies being made from this region and according to a
company spokesperson will likely continue this trend throughout the summer
for several of their blockbuster titles.
A major reason for many of Canada's problems stems from the lack of
adequate anti-piracy legislation. Mr. Serve Corriveau, Vice President,
Anti-Copyright, Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association,
describes, "In Canada, one of the things that we are trying to achieve is
to get the government to pass a criminal law prohibiting camcording because
currently there is no law against this."
While movie piracy may never be fully eliminated, innovative technology has
created valuable opportunities for reducing the problem.
Mr. Patrick Gregston, Business Development for USA Video Interactive Corp.,
explains, "The technologies that make piracy relatively easy are also
technologies that enable a wealth of new opportunities. Over the last year,
the leadership is starting to focus on those opportunities more.
Watermarking is a relatively low cost, low resistance security function
compared to the complex systems that go with rights management and
encryption, the other leading approaches. Our SmartMarks enable
transactions, does nothing to complicate usage or inhibit people from doing
what they have always done and had the rights to do. Should an individual
choose to violate that license, SmartMarks make it possible to provide
proof that the content is not licensed for that use, and are accepted by
western courts as such."
A key component in the fight against piracy according to MPAA's Elizabeth
Kaltman is ensuring that consumers are able to get movies hassle free at a
reasonable cost. "Studios are adopting new business models allowing them to
get product to people using new technologies that allow consumers to see
movies when and how they want," states Kaltman.
The full report is available at:
http://www.digitalmediastocks.com/Articles/051507a.asp
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