Xerox ContentGuard

["Hamaker, Chuck" <cahamake@email.uncc.edu>]

Note in the new issue of BusinessWeek set me on the trail of finding out
more about Xerox new product, ContentGuard.

Business Week, sept. 6, 1999 p. 6: Xerox' Digital Property Rights
Language...is the basis for ContentGuard, software that is used: "to embed
copyright protections within any type of digital document." The upshot?
Viewers can't distribute bootleg copies without first asking--and
presumably paying. Even publishers who circulate free content can benefit
from the software's ability to track distribution"

In an annoucement yesterday, Xerox said: The recently released Xerox
ContentGuard suite is an end-to-end solution for rights management of
digital content, including support for rights specification, granting of
rights, enforcement of rights during use and ongoing rights tracking.
ContentGuard enables e-commerce and network distribution of digital
content such as market research and other reports, books, periodicals and
academic course-packs. ContentGuard also automates the rights clearing
process that facilitates the acquisition and granting of rights and
royalty accounting.

Xerox' ContentGuard will be built into Adobe Acrobat

The integration of Adobe PDF technology with Xerox ContentGuard is truly a
significant step forward in enabling document e-commerce," said Victor
Votsch, senior editor, SeyboldReports.com. "It's encouraging to see the
arrival of a solution that promises ubiquity and flexibility from two of
the leading publishing technology providers."

The integration of Adobe PDF and Xerox ContentGuard will offer significant
benefits, both to publishers and consumers. Publishers will be able to use
the Adobe Acrobat format for distribution of their content while
benefiting from the turnkey protection, e-commerce and rights clearing
capabilities of ContentGuard. At the same time, consumers will benefit by
being able to access their content through the familiar Acrobat Reader
software. Initial availability of this integration will be this fall, and
offered as a free upgrade to existing ContentGuard customers.

Since this will be in Adobe Acrobat, it means that publishers will define
"fair use" ANd be able to track if they want,anything of "theirs".

I've heard nothing from ALA about this, nor other library organizations.

I think it is a serious development, and if I've missed discussions on it,
I'd appreciate being notified of any ongoing work from Library
organizations or other groups that are concerned. Fair use is not, of
course, mentioned in either the Business Week note, or in Xerox's own
annoucement which is at: http://www.xerox.com/ under "newsroom"

Chuck Hamaker
UnC Charlotte