The PDR is a new technology from DTR. It is a specially designed optical disc writer with the unique ability to create optical discs that are fully standards compliant, but with the added capability of enabling management of digital rights. The PDR has a very flexible writing engine capable of writing additional encryption and is able to produce discs containing artifacts that can be used for watermarks and copy protection measures.
For example, in a download to own scenario, the PDR is capable of producing a disc that is virtually identical to a pressed version of the same content. The Content Scramble System (CSS) and any additional copy protection measures can also be replicated onto the produced disc, such as DTR's Optical Content Protection (OCP), Sony's ARccOS or Macrovision's RipGuard, as examples.
In a download scenario, the PDR is capable of also signing the disc in such a way that tracing and secure identification of the disc are possible. This would enable a "Download rental" scenario where a customer could download a movie and should they be displeased with their purchase, the same disc could be re-inserted into the PDR, and then the content subequently destroyed, thus allowing the customer to be refunded he purchase price, minus the time they securely "rented" the content for.
The drive is also capable of reproducing virtually all commercially available copy protection signatures used as mechanisms to protect game content on optical media. Thus it is also possible with the PDR to allow the same scenarios of download to own and download to rent for software applications and games. This is not limited to PC's or Mac's, it is also able to replicate content for secure use on games consoles.
The PDR is a fully self contained and self powered device that utilises the industry standard USB connection. It is capable of being interfaced to any device that supports the USB standard, such as the PC, Macintosh, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Ninetendo Wii, as examples.
The PDR is capable of protecting secure content at various levels. For example, it could be used to write discs that only it can read back, for secure backup, so that in the event that the discs are appropriated by an unauthorised party, they cannot be read. It could also write discs that only other PDR's in its secure "chain of trust" can read, so that in an office or studio environment, discs could be used, but if taken outside the company or studio, the discs will be inaccessible and therefore useless.
The PDR can effectively be used as a high capacity copy protection "dongle", in that it can securely store program data and content, such as fonts, 3D meshes, graphic images or documents, in a form that allows copyright control over these normally hard to protect forms of content. This content can be signed and tied to a specific disc, PDR or number of PDR devices.
The PDR platform and is designed with a high degree of flexibility and is capable of producing a wide range of artifacts that comprise various signatures, watermarks and other mechanisms to protect content. It has great flexibility and can be used to create customised "one off" protections to protect very sensitive content.
For example, movie studios could utilise the PDR's functionality to ensure that production content, if leaked, is unusable. Content can also be easily seeded so as to facilitate "traitor tracing".
A further example, game studios could supply their preview or demo content on PDR's to allocated reviewers, or target the specific media for a certain PDR (or a group of PDR's belonging to a company) so that only the recipients with those PDR's can read that media.
Another example could be a studio where they wish to create their own protection for their own download service, allowing the customer who has purchased the downloaded version of the content to have the same experience and flexibility as if they had purchased a pressed version.
Therefore, no more special versions for download, or tying to tie a game to a specific computer or console, enraging legitimate customers. The same protection could be utilised across both the retail (pressed) and downloaded (burnt) copies.
The PDR is capable of creating CD's (Compact Disc), DVD's (Digital Versatile Discs). There are also HD-DVD (High Definition DVD) and BluRay disc versions of the PDR technology working in the lab and scheduled for release in the third quarter of 2007.
Trademark Disclaimer:
Microsoft, Xbox and Xbox360 are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. PlayStation 3 is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. Wii is a registered trademark of Nintendo Corporation. Macintosh is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. SafeDisc and RipGuard are registered trademarks of Macrovision, Inc. SecuROM and ARccOS are registered trademarks of Sony DADC Austria AG. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.