LONDON, Jan. 29, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Streamburst, based in London, announces its Digital Rights Management (DRM) free service -- the way forward for Internet downloading and anti-piracy schemes. Using the Streamburst service enables distribution of high-quality video content over the Internet without the cumbersome restrictions of DRM whilst offering a strong and more practical solution for piracy deterrence and copyright law enforcement.
DRM technology is very controversial and much debate has been ongoing about the restrictions on fair use of content that is purchased. Streamburst's solution differs in the fact that it allows the content to be played on multiple devices including portable players, mobile phones and can be burnt to DVD for archiving or to play on PCs, Laptops & HDTV's whilst ensuring piracy risks are reduced.
The solution has two parts and aims to make people more accountable for their actions without artificially restricting them:
1) All distributed video content has a five-second introduction added to the front of the video with the customer's name as it appears on the customer's credit card. This enforces the idea of ownership of the content and will help "keep the honest person honest".
2) All distributed video has a unique transaction fingerprint -- watermark -- added to the video content making it possible to trace the content back to the customer, should it be found on pirate download networks. Because of its design, the fingerprint even survives most editing changes and format shifts; burning to DVD and then ripping back onto a computer doesn't eliminate it.
The new piracy deterrent methods do not alienate or drive customers to piracy which will provide great benefit and security to International Distributors, Production Companies and Website Operators -- enabling them to compete with illegal pirate download networks in terms of quality, ease of use and overall user experience. A key benefit of this solution is a dramatically improved user experience when downloading, playing and archiving video content purchased on the Internet -- providing a better service to all parties.
Amongst the first websites using the new technology is Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman's epic adventure documentary Long Way Round.
Dave Parsons, Streamburst CEO, comments: "Streamburst aims to help diffuse different types of content horizontally across vertical market segments. We don't believe that mega catalogs of content are going to be the only places where Internet users buy content -- we believe in specialist content stores, with strong user participation that give attention and great support to various categories of content. Even if specialist stores are disappearing in the real world we believe they can be recreated effectively and profitably on the Internet."
Robert Bjarnason, Streamburst President/CTO, added: "We are not on a crusade against DRM but instead offering this solution as an alternative that lends itself especially well to Download to Own video content distribution."
Information on Streamburst and its new service can be found at www.streamburst.co.uk
Notes to editors:
1) Streamburst is an innovative and forward thinking company supplying services and infrastructure for the delivery of Television and Film Productions over the Internet.
2) Streamburst's sole focus is on Download to Own content, no VOD (Video On Demand) or near-VOD services are planned at this time.
3) International Distributors, Production Companies and Website Operators can benefit hugely from the unique features that Streamburst offer:
* Piracy deterrent methods that do not alienate or drive customers to piracy * Content delivery in multiple formats, servicing multiple devices
The Streamburst Ltd. logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=3253