World Intellectual Property Authority – China National Intellectual Property Administration (WIPO-CNIPA) has awarded an online entertainment service with a China Patent Excellence for its invention of “Digital Rights Management (DRM) Key Storage and Reading Method and System”. The company’s self-developed technology is the first DRM system developed by a Chinese internet video platform to receive certification from ChinaDRM Lab, China’s most prestigious DRM organisation.
This shows that digital rights are an important part of Intellectual Property (IP) protection and receive increased attention. Based on encryption technology, DRM is a key technology in digital copyright protection that can to some extent prevent digital content from being pirated during its online transmission. The proprietary DRM system has two components: implementation of China DRM standards and security protection.
An award-winning patented technology is used to enhance the security of the DRM system, making it more effective in preventing attackers from pirating video files, thus securing the rights and interests of content creators. The encryption protection technology also benefits from the company’s proprietary IP rights.
Compared to externally purchased DRM systems, the system offers internally developed natural advantages such as system architecture with wider adaptability, faster iteration and lower communication costs. Efficient integration of the DRM system and the content management system provides a more stable technical performance and superior user experience at a lower cost.
The company has been actively involved in independent research and development of a DRM system, and in recent years has continued to invest in key areas such as overlay key encryption, white-box cryptography and obfuscation solutions, as well as video encryption and exposed processing solutions.
In addition to DRM, the company has also worked on the application of core technologies for copyright protection, including hotlinking prevention, digital video fingerprints, blockchain-based copyright protection and comprehensive monitoring. By 2020, the company monitored more than 2,000 surveillance platforms and removed nearly 7 million pirated video links.
According to a paper, advancement in technology facilitates the use of the internet and access to digital media which leads to massive infringements in terms of unauthorised commercial use. DRM was implemented into the existing system to provide better protection from unauthorised use of work.
DRM has two fundamental modules: 1) for identifying the contents and 2) for licensing or other rights transactions while the payment is the additional or supplementary module. Core elements of this system are content and rights identification and a licensing tool. DRM is used to design a procedure to facilitate the IP owner to protect their work including distribution and the use of their property in a digital environment in a certain right.
DRM as copyright protection technologies help apply laws in three different ways: providing protection for copyrighted work, addressing copyright disputes fairly by auditing and tracking, and providing protection of original digital work by fair use and doctrine.
Meanwhile, compared with pure digital copyright protection technology, DRM emphasises the systematic idea. DRM not only requires effective copyright protection technology, but also the need to establish the relevant mechanisms, including trust, supervision, cooperation, and responsibility systems.
As reported by OpenGov Asia, The State Council’s executive meeting states that China took initiatives to reform the government functions regarding intellectual property. This action is to facilitate entrepreneurial activity and innovation and boost innovation by market entities. The innovation reform includes the advancement of online processing of prioritised patent review and application for electronic registration of pledges and the promotion of electronic trademark registration certificates and patent certificates.
Besides utilising digital technology to make the process more efficient, the review period will also be significantly shortened. This is for or the alteration and extension of patents for invention and of trademarks whose application is made electronically. Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China says that protecting intellectual property is protecting innovation. This is a key part of an effort in fostering a world-class, market-oriented business climate governed by a sound legal framework.
