RealNetworks Releases Digital Rights Technology
Thu January 9, 2003 12:44 AM ET
SEATTLE (Reuters) - RealNetworks Inc. RNWK.O said on Thursday that its digital media streaming technology would include digital rights management, a copyright protection method meant to protect digital content.
Movie studios and music companies have been reluctant to distribute their music widely in electronic form because of the ease with which such content can be copied and distributed through the Internet, resulting in lost revenue.
DRM is seen as the solution for the problem, but thus far has been limited in scope in terms of the number of formats supported and controls.
"This breaks the stranglehold that tied a content owner to using a given format if they wanted to use DRM," said Dan Sheeran, vice president of media systems at RealNetworks.
RealNetworks, which is calling its new offering Helix DRM, said the technology will support various digital content standards such as RealAudio, RealVideo, MPEG-4, MP3, H.263 video and AAC as well as Narrowband AMR audio.
"Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment, Starz On Demand and Triggerstreet.com as well as by music label EMI Recorded Music (which includes the EMI, Capitol, Virgin and other record labels) and several Internet media services." will use Helix DRM, RealNetworks said in a statement.
Helix DRM can also be integrated into consumer devices, giving them the ability to playback or store protected digital content.
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