September 12, 2007

Microsoft patents digital music watermarking technology

Written by Jan Harris

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Microsoft patents digital music watermarking technology
Microsoft has patented a technology for digital rights management that is believed to be unbreakable.

The technology, known as ’stealthy audio watermarking’, protects digital content even when it is distributed without DRM protection.

It inserts and detects watermarks in audio signals which identify the content producer. This creates a permanent ‘digital signature’ which is embedded in MP3 and .WAV and can survive all typical kinds of processing and malicious attacks.

The technique is based on similar spread-spectrum technology used by the military.

Microsoft researchers Darko Kirovski and Henrique Malvar filed the patent application with the US Patent and Trade Organisation (USPTO), in May 2004.

Microsoft’s current digital rights management technology, called Windows Media DRM, encrypts audio files and protects them from misuse or unauthorised redistribution.

The new stealthy audio watermarking technology does not encrypt files, or prevent unauthorised use, but it can prove who own digital content via the unique digital signal.

This would allow authorities to identify content owners and crack down on illegal trading. It could also be used to track files for the distribution of royalties.

Filed Under Technology