Watermarks: A better DRM than DRM itself?
Posted by Sachin Garg on 7th December 2005 | Permanent Link
DRM has always been more about restricting rights, rather than managing them. Limitations put on where and how the files can be copied and which devices will be able to play DRMed files are more often than not suffocating.
TiVo, in it’s TiVoToGo service, has instead chosen to follow the WaterMark path.
In a nut shell, what this means is that there are no restrictions ‘imposed’ on how and where the files can be copied and played. But they just ‘expect’ you to follow their guidelines.
And in case you dont follow them and mass destribute the files, the watermark embedded in the video is enough to track down the licensed user who ‘leaked’ the file illegally. And they can then claim damages. Technically, this embedded hidden signal is robust enough to survive tampers like compression and format conversions etc…
For a legitimate paying user, this is a much more relaxed deal than the DRM scheme currently getting popular.
You can read the complete ZDNet post here.