Spec approved for digital media distribution

High-tech heavyweights and movie studios have agreed on a future copy protection scheme for next-generation digital media.

Eight companies - IBM Corp., Intel Corp., Microsoft Corp., Sony, Toshiba and Panasonic along with studio owners Walt Disney and Time Warner - have agreed to use a digital media standard to distribute movies and other digital content. The spec, known as the Advanced Access Content System (ACCS), covers the licensing and distribution of movies via next-generation formats like high-density Blu-ray and HD-DVDs.

Lack of a copy protection scheme for digital media threatened to slow the introduction of new technologies like portable media players. The industry partners said ACCS should become available to studios, consumer electronics manufacturers and content distributors by the end of the year.

The industry standard will be administered by the ACCS Licensing Agency. Industry observers said the standard would likely speed the distribution of digital content to consumers.

- EE Times