Nielsen to Fight against Copyright Infringement

Copyright infringement is probably one of the most important problems nowadays, as the companies accuse each other of publishing material without authorization. That's why a copyright filter is extremely necessary. Today, Nielse and Digimarc Corporation have announced the availability of Nielsen Digital Media Manager, a technology supposed to allow companies to monitor and manage the content published on the web. This could only be good news for YouTube and other video sharing technologies, as many of them had problems with the material uploaded on their pages.

"We believe these services will stimulate the growth of online video distribution, to the benefit of consumers, content providers and distributors," said David Calhoun, chairman and CEO of the Nielsen Company.

"Until now, the lack of an independent, industry-accepted identification and tracking service has limited the transactions that allow the delivery of media content over the Internet. Now with our new media identification and management services unique ability to identify content throughout the Internet, both content providers and distributors can protect and monetize the value of online media", he continued.

The first service that comes in my mind when we're talking about copyright infringement is YouTube, Google's video sharing service, which invites users to publish and share content with other Internet consumers. A few months ago, YouTube was sued by Viacom, the media giant which owns MTV, because it had published videos without authorization. Beside the 100,000 clips removed from the page, Viacom also demanded $1 billion in damages for copyright infringement. That's why the entire world demanded YouTube a filter, which would be able to block the prohibited content. Although the video sharing service got more focused on such a tool, it is now helped by Nielsen, Digimarc and their Digital Media Manager.

"Digital watermarking enables content producers to harness the power of the Internet and expand audiences for entertainment media by identifying media content wherever it goes," said Bruce Davis, chairman and CEO of Digimarc. "The ability to identify content enables accountability, insightful marketing, and enhanced consumer experiences. This initiative can turn a perceived threat to the entertainment industry into a manageable solution that inspires an exciting new era of digital entertainment", he concluded.