Owners of music copyrights will be interested in a new software system that the developers claim will stop anyone swopping songs to which they have no rights. The developers say the software will enable copyright owners to develop new business models around internet distribution.
Which songs are allowed to be exchanged via the Internet? Does the exchange infringe any copyrights? Users are often at a loss to know, and copyright holders are annoyed. The exchange of songs, videos or podcasts usually takes place via peer-to-peer networks, in which all computers have equal rights and each user can simultaneously offer and download content files. Once an artist or a radio station has placed content in a P2P network, the distribution process takes on a life of its own and cannot be stopped.
The CONFUO©O software developed by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics aims to put a stop to this problem. “If anyone tries to swap a song to which they have no rights, CONFUO©O prevents the exchange,” says researcher Martin Schmucker. “In this way, users can rest assured that they are acting lawfully at all times, and the system operators and developers responsible for the security of the system are also protected against nasty surprises.”
A further advantage is that files previously placed in the network can be withdrawn at any time.
The software knows which songs or films may legitimately be swapped because all copyright material is blacklisted. “CONFUO©O compares the contents on the basis of song characteristics, rather like the melody,” says Schmucker.
This has a clear advantage over comparing bit patterns, in that the content can be recognised even if it is saved in a zip file or other file formats. The surveillance software is located on a central server.
CONFUO©O makes it possible to track the number of exchanges that have taken place. If someone enters a song that is unknown to the system, a warning message will indicate that this person is responsible for the content. If it transpires the song is copyrighted, the extent of the breach can be assessed and the user held liable.
“Moreover, the information as to how often certain content has been exchanged allows for any number of business models,” says Schmucker.
Martin Schmuker is available at: +49 6151 155 534
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