Verance First Electronics Partner for Anti-Piracy Technology
Funai Electric Co., the maker of Blu-ray players through the Funai, Magnavox and Emerson brands, has come on board as one of the first electronics manufacturers to support Verance Corp’s anti-piracy software that determines whether a film has been illegally obtained and which legitimate digital movie services through which the film can be viewed.
Its Cinavia Level 3 software, available only through devices that play Blu-rays, uses an audio watermark to block playback of pirated movies and sends viewers to digital retailers to access titles legally.
Funai will also showcase Cinavia Level 3 inside its new Blu-ray players at the 2014 International CES show that takes place in Las Vegas next week.
The software was first introduced last May, with Verance having sought support from retailers since, including Walmart’s Vudu.
SEE ALSO: New Anti-Piracy Software Uses Power of Suggestion
Verance saw the technology as a way to help Hollywood increase the number of digital dollars it generates from the sale of films and rentals, especially as the industry looks to encourage the use of storage lockers like UltraViolet.
“The vast majority of consumers of pirated content are also purchasers of legitimate content, but many still have not discovered the services like Vudu which can provide immediate access to movies they want to see on the devices they already use,” said Verance CEO Nil Shah. “Our Cinavia Level 3 technology is uniquely able to reach them at the height of their interest and provide a safe path to the convenience of digital movie services.”
The technology is meant to work alongside Verance’s existing Cinavia content protection system found inside 125 million Blu-ray disc players worldwide, including Sony’s PlayStation 3 and 4 videogame consoles. Cinavia was first introduced as an optional component of Blu-ray disc players and recorders in July 2009 and its use became mandatory in February 2012, protecting more than 250 theatrical and homevideo releases from Universal, Sony, Fox and Warner Bros. since then, including 50 pics released in 2013.
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