James Delahunty
10 May 2007 15:22
We've seen all sorts of attempts to protect movies on DVD discs from "digital theft" but now technology is being pitched at studios to tackle physical theft from retailers. A chip, smaller than the head of a pin, would be placed literally onto a DVD disc along with a thin coating placed to stop DVD players from reading critical information from the disc. However, at a checkout a simple scan will activate the chip, sending out an electrical pulse making the thin coating transparent.
The radio frequency identification chip is made by NXP Semiconductors, based in the Netherlands, and the Radio Frequency Activation technology comes from Kestrel Wireless Inc., based in Emeryville. They expect to announce deals with Hollywood studios during the summer and said the technology could be used with other products like ink jet cartridges, flash memory drives and even flat-screen TVs.
The Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) estimates that theft of entertainment products, including video games, adds up to $400 million in losses every year.
Source:
Yahoo