CCP at Asia Television Forum, Dec 2-3

The Centre for Content Protection (CCP) conducted the Digital Future Seminar Series Dec 2 to engage the digital distribution industry at the Asia Television Forum(ATF) in Singapore .

“The DFS Series seminar was an opportune moment to discuss digital business models across the film, TV and music industries,” says Isa Seow, Managing Director, Centre for Content Protection.

Speakers reiterated that paramount to the success of media industries is the role of music. “It is critical that musicians can earn income,” said Mike Ellis, President, Motion Picture Association (MPA) Asia Pac. Music can help media industries to grow and vice versa. It costs USD $200 million to make a movie, yet the majority of movies that go out are losing money. The challenge and opportunity lies in the fact that 16% of movie revenues come from cinema, and the remaining 84% from home entertainment. “Our collective futures depend on (our ability to adapt to) the digital transformation that’s going on,” Ellis told the industry players gathered at the conference.

Five times Golden Rooster winner Li Qiankuan emphasized to the audience of media industry players how the integration of music with regional and national features was crucial for a merger between western and eastern music. Dick Lee referred to his personal experience in championing the inclusion of Asian elements in pop music. He cited Japan for becoming the undisputed leader of Asian pop culture by picking up the best of American pop culture and “refitting it to Japanese size.”

Qiankuan, who is the President of the Shanghai International Film Festival’s Jury Board, and Xiao Guiyun, member, China’s National Film Approval Board, later conducted a film masterclass and workshop Dec 3 with MDA support. The masterclass provided an understanding of China’s film industry followed by an overview of opportunities for partnerships and proposals in the industry.

Looking to the film industry

Panelist Nina Ossoff, who has been writing successfully for movies and TV, including American Idol, advised musicians in the audience to “make your master sound awesome.” She bemoaned the fall in the number of movies with soundtracks. Philip Wu, Exec Chairman, GRID MMS, conceded that it is a very tough game to live off music. Go around and get yourself known, he advised, submit your lyrics to the movie industry and put up your talent for review.

Singapore is one of the easiest places to make networking connections, says the director of Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, Bernard Lanskey. He observed that the educational opportunities here are immense from an international perspective. “We underestimate the professional dimension of musical work,” he said. “Training in professional awareness and maintaining quality should be your priorities,” he told the listening students of music and film in the audience.

Cutting to the recession, Charles J. Sanders, Esq. Songwriters Guild of America, who moderated a panel, recalled how Hollywood came to the rescue when the Great Depression nearly wiped out songwriting in the 1930s. “Now again we’re looking to the film industry,” he stated. Panelist Malcolm Young finds that the challenges are emerging more rapidly than the answers are coming back, with the film industry downturn predating the current economic downturn. Young is soon to produce The Durian King, a zero-budget film set in Singapore.

New media are taking eyeballs off traditional media, says Wu. This makes it imperative that the movie industry work across all industries. Creating legitimate business models rapidly would enable survival on ever-emerging new platforms

The Singapore opportunity: Networking and self-belief

Panelists pointed out that Singapore is uniquely placed in world terms. As a modern bilingual society, it is uniquely connected to South East Asian countries. The Singaporean awareness of the global community is unparalleled, says Lanskey. “What will drive internal passion is networking and self-belief.” He compared Singapore to where Paris was in 1900, or to Vienna in 1750. “Change can happen fast. The speed at which Singapore’s evolving is phenomenal.”

Wu touched on the country’s three strengths: trust, technology and the financial system. “We might not make a Titanic,” he said, “but there are niche areas we can come into with these strengths: post production and songwriting, for instance.” There are many who dare to dream, but many other Singaporeans are pragmatic. Singapore has not reached the critical mass of talent and we should aspire to reach that, said Wu.

“We are always calling ourselves too small and berating our lack of a long history. We must think big; we must think differently,” observed Joshua Simon, a student at Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

Spell out rights: IFPI

As music is the primary driver of the entertainment business, be it karaoke or nightclubs, it is important to clearly spell out rights, concluded the panel on copyright and legal issues.

Leong May Seey, Regional Dir(Asia ), International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) recommended the ISO standard to identify country of origin and the first owner in every commercial sound recording, and the embedding of the ISWC(International Standard Musical Work Code) to protect composers.

Frank Rittman, Regional Legal Counsel, MPA - Asia Pac, suggested a centralised licensing corporation which would allow a producer to pay a single fee, rather than needing to conform to varying structures in each country of release. Complicated sets of rights exist separately in different countries for the two pieces of intellectual property in music: the underlying musical composition, and the performance. For instance, said Sanders, US law has so many anomalies, despite being a pro-copyright country. Compulsory licensing exists, but once the song is released, anyone can make a cover of it. The licensing also does not extend to synchronization rights.

Embrace local artistes

The panel on Asia strategies recommended that Singapore embrace local artistes. “There’s great music in Singapore; you just have to play it,” observed Allan Nicholls, Department of Graduate Film, Tisch Asia( Singapore). A Stefanie Sun had to leave the country and be endorsed by Taiwan before she got accepted here.

“We are not hungry enough as a nation. That said, I’d rather have the security of Singapore, than professional footballers and recording artistes if they come at the cost of security,” says Michael Hosking, CEO, Midas Promotions. He suggested introducing a radio station that played local music.

To meet the challenge of changing the Singaporean mindset, Lim Sek, Chief Exec, Music & Movement (S) Pte Ltd, said that the Republic of Pop has been started with MDA support. It is an umbrella of local talents and a movement to appeal to the Singapore audience. The website will launch in the first quarter of 2010, detailing agents, contacts and a step by step guide for talents.

Talks are on with MediaCorp to get airtime for local talent, said Yeo Chun Cheng, Chief Information Officer, MDA, and the second round of proposals for music has just opened. “But I don’t think the government is the solution to everything,” he said. “Be careful of government officials telling you what is to be done.” The solution was instead, to be “really, really good at what you do.”

The DFS seminar is an initiative under the MoU signed with the Media Development Authority(MDA) Sept 9, as part of MDA’s agenda to develop a conducive business environment with a robust intellectual property regime and a pro-business regulatory framework.

Event: Digital Future Series Conference at the Asia Television Forum Theme: The Role of Music in Film and TV; Date: Dec 2

Location: Suntec City Convention Centre

Speakers included: Film producers and directors; Charles J. Sanders, Esq. Songwriters Guild of America; Nina Ossoff, songwriter; Mike Ellis, President and Managing Director, Motion Picture Association (MPA) - Asia Pacific; Li Qiankuan, Chairman of China Film Association and Head of the China Film Foundation; Dick Lee, composer; Frank Rittman, Regional Legal Counsel and Deputy Director of the MPA - Asia Pacific; Leong May Seey, Regional Dir(Asia), International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI); Michael Hosking, CEO, Midas Promotions; Yeo Chun Cheng, Chief Information Officer, MDA; Bernard Lanskey, Director, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music; Isa Seow, Managing Director, Centre for Content Protection (CCP); Philip Wu, Executive Chairman of GRID MMS Pte Ltd; Allan Nicholls, Department of Graduate Film, Tisch Asia; Lim Sek, |Chief Executive, Music and Movement (S) Pte Ltd

Event: Masterclass and Workshop with China Directors Li Qiankuan and Xiao Guiyun, Dec 3

Masterclass Theme: Understanding the Film Industry in China

Workshop Theme: Film and Partnership Proposals

Location: Ngee Ann Auditorium, Asian Civilisations Museum

The Centre for Content Protection (CCP) announced today the continuation of its Memorandum of Understanding with the Media Development Authority(MDA) of Singapore to engage the digital distribution industry at the Asia Television Forum this December.

At the signing of the MoU, MDA Chief Information Officer Yeo Chun Cheng reiterated the media authority’s goal of establishing Singapore as a regional hub for media services. CCP Managing Director Isa Seow stated that the Centre will conduct the Digital Future Symposium (DFS) Series event on Dec 2. Participants will include content owners, producers, technologists, content security companies, artistes, labels, management companies, agents, studios, songwriters and broadcasters.

Earlier, speaking at an international strategy meeting of the Motion Picture Association Sept 2, Yeo commended the CCP for actively driving fresh perspectives and policy discussions in the field of content protection. Representatives from six major Hollywood motion picture studios were present at the lunch.

DFS Series objectives are:

· To better enable composers to reach out to film and TV industries

· To provide a platform for artistes, producers, technologists, labels, studios, song writers, broadcasters, online distributors, government and vendors to interact

· To map and guide the future business of music

· To encourage new business models, partnerships, and solutions

· To build relationships between Singapore and foreign industries in this field

· To address current and new issues in relation to the music industry and future technology in the field of music

· To discuss government – industry cooperation

The Asia Television Forum is Asia’s leading programming market, where international content sellers meet with Asian buyers and partners to sell, buy and network.

Protecting the Digital Video Broadcasting(DVB) Common Interface and ensuring High Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) for digital display outputs, disabling analogue outputs for High Definition (HD) content and adopting the latest version of broadcast signaling for DVB were best practices recommended.

CCP participated in the International Telecommunication Union - Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development(ITU-AIBD) workshop, and at Broadcast Asia, in Singapore June 16-17, where the recommendations were first presented.

Despite the proliferation of media, a bright future was predicted for FTA television broadcasters, with well-managed and protected HD digital broadcasts. Says CCP Director Isa Seow, “The industry is set to flourish but there are challenges in ensuring the availability of high-value content in Free-to-Air, particularly HD content. Content protection must be in place for HD content.”

CCP members, including HBO, Irdeto, SecureMedia, NDS and Nagravision, were at Broadcast Asia to talk broadcast content protection developments and the role of government.

Low-cost Protection Choices for Free-to-air

Earlier, at the ITU-AIBD workshop on digital terrestrial television broadcasting June 16, Motion Picture Association of America(MPAA) CTO Jim Williams recommended terrestrial broadcasters tap low-cost content protection choices. Broadcasters at the workshop were engaged by CCP members Nagravision, NDS, ASTRO, MPA, Microsoft and Conax who provided updates and a panel discussion on the latest issues in relation to broadcast and content protection

Participants discussed why free-to-air(FTA) broadcasters may need to make content-protection choices, especially at the set-top box.

“It’s a really exciting time for us as the digital transition begins,” says Seow

Jim Williams called it digital emancipation when US broadcasters turned off analog signals June 12 this year. He invited delegates from different countries to identify which stage of the digital transition they each were in, and adopt appropriate types of content protection. “Protect your free TV,” he exhorted.

”Content protection helps broadcasters obtain high-value entertainment. Content owners can be more confident of channels that they will be licensing content,” says Isa Seow, who is also a consultant at Motion Picture Association. “Our CCP Recommended Outputs Publication is a reference for many device manufacturers and broadcasters seeking clarifications for free-to-air set-top box outputs design.‘

Williams recommended low-cost alternatives such as High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP), where discounts on royalties are available. “Not many organisations are focused on low-cost alternatives,” he said. “One
organisation that is focused on it is CCP.”

In Korea, a country with one of the highest broadband penetration rates, 47% of the 33.5 mill users admitted to illegally downloading movies once a week. “If this goes on, we’re going to face what happened to the music industry,” said Graham Stephens, CTO, Astro All Asia Networks plc. He concurred that it might seem strange to talk about FTA and content protection in the same breath, but don’t just go out with open-architecture set-top boxes, he warned, and instead use the opportunity to think about how to do the digital transition well.

NDS Asia-Pac Chief Engineer Paul Jackson described a new broadcast business model that his company supports in Turkey. The Turkish model requires people to purchase a content-protected set top box and register for free access to additional “free-to-view” content. Advertising is targeted to users of these set top boxes. An enhanced version of the service for digital video recorders could in future allow for targeted advertising by demographics. Jackson advised against subsidising unprotected set-top boxes, which may be “effectively subsidising your neighbours’ set-tops,” if your set-tops are compatible with neighbouring countries’ transmissions. He recommended minimum security features in hardware, common to all boxes, as a means both to enable more potential business models and also to discourage unintended cross subsidy.

In the crowd was the Indian regulator amongst the Singapore, Malaysia and other regulators who flew in for the BCA related events.

Jim Beveridge, Director, International Media Policy, Microsoft, said the company had several new innovations where high-value content was one constant. The idea of Multiple screens on Media Room, Media Centre and X-Box require content protection, he said, which requires Microsoft to interact with broadcasters on this platform.

Vidar Sandvik, International Product Marketing Manager at Conax AS, advocated “scrambling” for FTA broadcasting. He cited Netherlands and Poland where 100% cable saturation did not prevent terrestrial television from thriving.
In Poland where FTA had 30% of the market, FTA broadcasters added video-on-demand in HD, increasing value for consumers, and ensuring no leaks to the Net. Let the pay-TV operator subsidise the set-top box, he said, and
then control box quality for content protection. As for cost, set-top box vendors paid nothing for Conax hardware, he said.

Licensing set-top box production and preventing consumers from becoming broadcasters, but enabling them to receive, store and do home networking are some rules that regulators should lay down to protect content, concluded
Williams. He recommended making content protection cheaper by going completely digital. “Why do you need analog outputs?” he asks. The combined cost of HDMI (High-definition Multimedia Interface) and content protection on a set-top box was cheaper than content protection alone, he pointed out.

The ITU-AIBD workshop saw 40-50 Asian broadcast regulators in the room. Among the regulators were Singapore, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, and others. CCP, an inititative of the MPAA, is a consortium of industry stakeholders dedicated to the advancement of secure digital media distribution in Asia-Pacific.

Verizon Wireless, builder and operator of the nation’s most reliable wireless network, and Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) announced that the MOTO(TM) W755 is now available exclusively online at http://www.verizonwireless.com/ and in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores, including those in Circuit City. The MOTO W755 is a slim, new clamshell that supports all of the features and capabilities that Verizon Wireless customers have come to expect in their wireless phones. The device advances the design standard for affordable handsets with its premium soft touch and polished vacuum metal finishes. The 0.68-inch thick phone is available in two distinct color options — Black Slate and Purple.

The MOTO W755 has easy access to Verizon Wireless’ V CAST Music service with external touch-sensitive controls on the phone to allow customers to quickly search for song tracks by artist, album, track title and genre. These external controls also let users activate Bluetooth(R) and adjust ring volume or mute calls without ever opening the phone. V CAST Music offers more than 3 million songs from both well-known and independent artists and uses the most advanced technology to give customers their music over-the-air and direct to their wireless phones. The MOTO W755 also includes the following features for music lovers:

• Music player for formats AAC, AMR NB, MIDI, MP3 and WMA V9 — Create and manage playlists with Windows Media(R) Player 11 — Stereo Bluetooth wireless technology — 2.5 mm headset jack
• Keeping consumers entertained in more ways than one, the MOTO W755 features a 1.3 megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom that enables users to easily capture still and video shots, including self-portraits. Recorded videos and images can then be shown on the crisp, 1.9-inch internal display. Additional features and capabilities on the MOTO W755 include:

V CAST Video — download or stream video from the best names in news, sports, entertainment and more — VZ Navigator(SM)-capable — get audible maps, turn-by-turn directions and location information — Text, picture and video messaging — Mobile IM and chat capabilities — Mobile Web-capable — customizable, enhanced wireless access to the latest in news, sports, weather and more — Media Center-capable — download games, ringtones, wallpapers and more — microSD(TM) card memory port with up to 4 GB support with an optional memory card — Phonebook with up to 1,000 contacts

Availability
The MOTO W755 handset is available for $69.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and a new two-year customer agreement. For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to http://www.verizonwireless.com/.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 67.2 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 69,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more information, go to: http://www.verizonwireless.com/. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

About Motorola
Motorola is known around the world for innovation in communications. The company develops technologies, products and services that make mobile experiences possible. Our portfolio includes communications infrastructure, enterprise mobility solutions, digital set-tops, cable modems, mobile devices and Bluetooth accessories. Motorola is committed to delivering next generation communication solutions to people, businesses and governments. A Fortune 100 company with global presence and impact, Motorola had sales of US $36.6 billion in 2007. For more information about our company, our people and our innovations, please visit http://www.motorola.com/.

Contact
Brenda Boyd Raney of Verizon Wireless
+1-908-559-7518,

or Molly Sheehan of Motorola, Inc.,
+1-312-953-6006

“Our customers in the government and military rely on us to provide innovative IP communications solutions that meet their stringent requirements,” said Laura Kubisiak, Vice President of Marketing, PacStar. “The Sectera Universal vIPer phone is a cost effective, reliable replacement for the STU and STE.”

The vIPer phone is currently compatible with VoIP networks implemented using Cisco SCCP (Skinny Call Control Protocol). Built to provide seamless communications with legacy secure phones, the secure vIPer phone is software programmable with extensive memory to easily accommodate future upgrades and functionality.The vIPer phone can be upgraded for PSTN networks and SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) VoIP networks.