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January 22, 2003
JASRAC
Japanese Society for Rights of
Authors, Composers and Publishers
JASRAC CONDUCTS A JOINT VERIFICATION EXPERIMENT
ON THE USE OF DIGITAL WATERMARKS
The Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (Headquarters:
Shibuya-ward, Tokyo. President: Shigeru Yoshida. Hereafter referred to as “JASRAC”)
conducted a joint verification experiment on the usage of digital watermarks (hereafter
referred to as “verification experiment”) with the Recording Industry
Association of Japan (Headquarters: Chuo-ward, Tokyo. President: Isao Tomizuka.
Hereafter referred to as “RIAJ”) and has verified that digital watermark
technology validly functions in combination with the surveillance system for data
of illegal copyrighted works (hereafter referred to as “surveillance system,”see
note 1) and that the technology contributes to the discovery of illegally used
sound sources from compact discs and broadcast contents on the Internet, and also
to the identification of copyright infringed works.
The verification experiment was conducted in an environment supposing actual usages.
First, digital watermark information (ISWC) was embedded in sound sources from
compact discs intended for sale. They were then converted into MP3 files and uploaded
onto servers, which are connected to the Internet, of our choice. By doing this,
an environment for illegal use of musical contents was established on the Internet.
Next, a digital watermark detection program was equipped on the surveillance system
used by JASRAC. Copyrighted musical works uploaded onto the Internet were collected,
and digital watermark information was extracted from the works.
As a result, the surveillance system was able to collect in full, within a fixed
period, musical files in which digital watermarks were embedded. The system was
also able to extract information embedded as digital watermarks and identified
the musical works.
The experiment was conducted in an environment in which digital watermark technologies
of several firms coexisted; therefore, we have confirmed that illegal usage on
the Internet could be found and that copyright infringed works could be identified
even if digital watermark technologies of several firms coexisted.
The digital watermark technology used in this experiment was in conformity with
the “Request for proposals” of the STEP Project (for proposals on STEP2000,
see https://www.jasrac.or.jp/watermark/erfp.htm;
for proposals on STEP2001, see https://www.jasrac.or.jp/step2001/rfpe.htm;
for details on the Project, see note 2), with cooperation from the firms certified
in the STEP Project - IBM, M-Ken, MarkAny Japan, and Victor Company of Japan.
Following the results of the verification experiment, we expect that if copyright
owner information is embedded in musical contents using digital watermark technology,
in the future, more efficiency could be achieved in the search for illegally used
sound sources from compact discs and broadcast contents on the Internet and also
in the identification of copyright infringed works.
Based on the STEP Project conducted in the years 2000 and 2001, through the series
of activities up to this joint verification experiment with RIAJ, JASRAC has selected
digital watermark technologies for practical utilization and has found illegal
usages of musical files and also verified the identification of copyright infringed
works on the Internet.
JASRAC, in continued mutual cooperation with RIAJ, plans to support the embedding
of copyright owner information in musical contents using digital watermark technology.
Note 1: Surveillance systemYa surveillance system used by JASRAC for searching
data of illegal copyrighted works. The system is called “J-MUSE.”
Note 2: STEP (by Society, Technical Evaluation for Promoting practical utilization
of digital watermark) ProjectYa project in which a standard was set for digital
watermark technology for practical utilization and in which technologies clearing
the standard were certified (STEP2000 and STEP2001 were conducted in the years
2000 and 2001 respectively).
End
*If you have any questions regarding this press release, please contact the Public
Relations Department of JASRAC
(e-mail: koho@pop02.jasrac.or.jp).
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