Premium video content can be safeguarded even when not connected to the internet using forensic watermarking and digital rights management (DRM).
In order to securely deliver video streams to the user’s device, streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime use digital rights management (DRM) technology. This includes premium video content that can only be accessed via OTT apps. If this technology isn’t used, there’s a good chance the content will be copied, but it’s less likely. Over-the-top (OTT) platforms have become increasingly popular around the world. Until recently, they were only available on cable TV, but now they can be accessed on a variety of devices. OTT content has become increasingly popular, but it has also made it more vulnerable to piracy because of the proliferation of devices and content that can be viewed in browsers on desktops. Content owners and OTT platforms use digital rights management (DRM) technology to manage users and ensure that only authorised devices can play premium content, such as movies and music. It is possible for a DRM module to limit the number of devices or users per account, allowing the OTT company to design subscription plans accordingly.
DRM video protection can be used to protect a video asset in a variety of ways. This procedure includes an embedded code sequence designed to prevent the video asset from being copied. Using DRM technology, it is possible to restrict access to content based on time periods, such as how many days a piece of content is accessible to one user. Due to this technology, a user account can only be used on a limited number of devices at a time. It enables OTT providers to charge appropriately for their subscriptions.
Various DRM licence providers, like PlayReady, Google Widevin, FairPlay, and NCG, provide DRM licences, so the multi-DRM format is commonly used to address the market fragmentation. License keys are used to verify each piece of content before it can be played on the user device by these companies, who run their own licencing servers.
Each DRM-protected video asset provided by a DRM service provider, such as the ones listed above, can be stored in an OTT app as a licence. The licencing server does not have to issue a new licence when a playback request is made. Instead, the embedded licence can be used to decrypt the video by the device player. Unauthorized access to premium content is a major concern for over-the-top (OTT) providers. Video watermarking allows them to identify the leaker if the video reaches pirates’ ecosystems, and this is their second line of defence.
It is possible to embed the DRM licence into an offline file or to obtain it online. The video file can be licenced and used in offline mode on a domain-bound desktop. The embedded licence allows the user to decrypt and play the video even if the desktop does not have access to the licencing server. When a media library is transferred to a new device, the embedded licence is no longer functional. If this occurs, a new licence must be obtained.
Forensic watermarking is a valuable tool for content owners to use in conjunction with licence embedding, regardless of the method they choose.