Date:26/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/05/26/stories/2006052621420400.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Innovative technology to curb piracy

Staff Reporter

SRM Technologies in tie-up with Japan Wave to start Offshore Development Centre

CHENNAI : Film and music piracy is rampant and attempts to introduce digital rights management (DRM) to restrict and regulate the use of digital data have often failed with software `cracks' and `patches' that undo safeguard mechanisms emerging almost instantly on the Internet.

Which is why innovation remains the key in developing safeguards for digital data.

Chennai-based SRM Technologies has entered into a tie-up with Japanese digital rights management technology group Japan Wave to distribute an innovative technology that promises to curb piracy — be it at a movie theatre using digital screening or homes that have movie-on-demand appliances.

SRM Technology's chief executive officer S. Chandrasekaran said the new DRM system would follow a new methodology: "It will provide 99 per cent of the necessary software (in this case movie data) for the users but will hold back a crucial one per cent of the data. Users will have to log into the Internet, pay money on demand and download the one per cent to complete the movie data. The software will be erased automatically once the rental period is over."

Mr. Chandrasekaran said the DRM solution would enable a producer to control the rights to his software. "It can be used for video-on-demand, movie downloads (currently some Japanese and Hollywood movies are available using the technology), information and data."

SRM Technologies will work as an offshore development centre for Japan Wave. The Japanese company, headed by Akiyoshi Okamoto, has patented the DRM system developed to cut costs on filmmaking and provide foolproof copy protection. The technology is currently used in films, Internet-based downloading of music, games and movies.

P. Srinivasan, chief technical officer of SRM Technologies, said the company aimed for revenue of $10 million and would have 10 people in Japan and 10 in India to execute its work. Ayako Oakmoto, director of Japan Wave and Mr. Chandrasekaran signed the memorandum on Tuesday.