Audio watermarks are bits of inaudible data woven into the fabric of an audio file that allow machines to identify the file, regardless of its file name or metadata.
The latest watermarks can apparently even survive a wide range of format conversions – even being converted to analog, played through speakers, and recorded with a microphone. This gives content owners the ability to tag files like so many dolphins, for purposes of identifying, tracking, and/or filtering their dissemination online.
Although watermarks have potential to obviate the need for DRM, they could also lead to ISPs filtering content, as proposed by U2's manager, among others.
Congress is set to start learning about watermarks tonight at the fourth annual State of the Net Conference, where the Digital Watermarking Alliance plans to exhibits its technology for lawmakers, who might consider implementing laws involving watermarks at some point.
Here's what Congress can expect to learn about watermarks tonight, according to the DWA's description of the event. Interestingly, it sees watermarks as both a potential replacement for DRM and Conditional Access (CA) systems and as a complement to those technologies:
Digital Watermarking Alliance
Digital watermarking enables content identification and copyrightcommunication and provides a range of solutions for identifying,
securing, managing and tracking TV programming, movies, music anddigital images. The technology has been deployed by all major moviestudios and music labels, television broadcasters and many enterprisesand photographers with digital image assets. The Demonstration showshow Digital Watermarking can be used to facilitate digital delivery ofcontent while still enabling consumers to use the content legally andfairly. Using digital watermarking in conjunction DRM or CA systems canlead to:
- Reduced piracy and unauthorized re-distribution when bypassing the DRM
- Increased Accountability
- Ability to track and trace content leaks
Using Digital Watermarking to complement unencrypted delivery of content can lead to:
A better user experience
Drastically reduced piracy and unauthorized re-distribution of unprotected content
Ability to track and trace content leaks
Ability to assert copyright Digital Watermarking Alliance
Digital watermarking enables content identification and copyrightcommunication and provides a range of solutions for identifying,
securing, managing and tracking TV programming, movies, music anddigital images. The technology has been deployed by all major moviestudios and music labels, television broadcasters and many enterprisesand photographers with digital image assets. The Demonstration showshow Digital Watermarking can be used to facilitate digital delivery ofcontent while still enabling consumers to use the content legally andfairly. Using digital watermarking in conjunction DRM or CA systems canlead to:
Reduced piracy and unauthorized re-distribution when bypassing the DRM
Increased Accountability
Ability to track and trace content leaks
Using Digital Watermarking to complement unencrypted delivery of content can lead to:
- A better user experience
- Drastically reduced piracy and unauthorized re-distribution of unprotected content
- Ability to track and trace content leaks
- Ability to assert copyright
