European post and distribution company Quinta Industries and StudioCanal a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canal+ have announced the launch of a system for secure transfer of film files using NexGuard Content Protection which was introduced by Thomson STS now part of Civolution. The system was introduced at the Cannes’ 2009 Film Market. Until now StudioCanal relied on DVDs to distribute its films to rights buyers at film markets. These screeners usually come with highly visible copyright displays and logos within the video. While not efficiently dissuading piracy such displays severely impact the viewing experience according to film buyers. Engaged in a piracy deterrence policy StudioCanal reached out to Quinta Industries in order to provide previews of its films to foreign rights buyers in a secure fashion with uncompromised visual quality. A pilot scheme took place for seven StudioCanal films during the 2009 edition of the Cannes Film Market. The films were made available to buyers on USB memory sticks containing their NexGuard-protected integral version. The files can be viewed on PC or Mac using a security token and PIN code. The security token is handed over in person or shipped to the buyer while the PIN code is sent separately via email. Security token and PIN code are inoperable without one another. “We are very pleased to be working with Quinta and StudioCanal. Piracy in the early stage of the content lifecycle can be a major revenue risk ” says Alex Terpstra CEO at Civolution. “Applying a combination of encryption and imperceptible watermarks is a unique way to reduce such risks without interfering with the viewing experience.”
