DCIA Endorses P2P Digital Watermarking

Arlington, VA – The Distributed Computing Industry Association (www.DCIA.info), a trade organization with seventy-two (72) Members representing peer-to-peer (P2P) software providers, content rights holders, and service-and-support companies, today announced a resolution to support digital watermarking for the protection of entertainment content authorized for P2P distribution, and the formation of a new P2P Digital Watermark Working Group (PDWG) to foster its implementation. (A copy of the resolution is attached),

Digital watermarking, in the case of file-sharing environments, is the process by which imperceptible data is integrated into content during post-production that enables identification of such content as it is being redistributed. Successful commercial deployments of watermarked-based systems by the music, movie, and advertising industries have already had a significant impact on pre-release infringement and monitoring/reporting accuracy.

“We invite leading content and technology companies to join our Members in establishing business standards and practices for the use of digital watermarking to help secure licensed content in the steadily growing P2P distribution channel,” said DCIA CEO Marty Lafferty.

Qualified representatives are encouraged to call 888-864-3242 or e-mail PDWG@dcia.info for more information or to sign-up to participate in the new working group.

About the DCIA:

The Distributed Computing Industry Association (DCIA) is a non-profit trade organization focused on commercial development of peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing and related distributed computing technologies.

DCIA Membership is organized into three Groups: Content, Operations, and Platform. The DCIA conducts working groups and special projects, such as the Consumer Disclosures Working Group (CDWG), P2P PATROL, MGM v. Grokster Response Working Group (MGRWG), and the P2P Revenue Engine (P2PRE). It also publishes the weekly online newsletter DCINFO.