First Network Device Specifically Designed To Control P2P

LOS GATOS, California — October 21, 2003 — Audible Magic Corporation, a leading provider of content management and anti-piracy solutions, today announced the CopySense™ Network Appliance, the first product to give network administrators comprehensive control over P2P file trading. The product provides the broadest range of options for managing P2P usage, including:

  • Block only P2P transfers of copyrighted materials.
  • Block all P2P transfers.
  • Identify and log P2P usage.
  • Limit P2P traffic to a specified amount of bandwidth.
  • Establish specific rules for downloads or uploads from the network.

The CopySense Network Appliance installs quickly and easily with no effect on network performance, providing an ideal, easy-to-use solution for any business or organization concerned about bandwidth, security, and legal issues resulting from P2P software usage.

Operating in a manner similar to anti-virus programs, the CopySense Network Appliance offers a unique and powerful mode where P2P files containing offending media content, such as copyrighted songs, are recognized and blocked. In this mode of operation, the CopySense Appliance performs an “on-the-fly” match of P2P files against copyrighted material registered in its database.

Audible Magic’s CopySense (copyright-sensing) technology is based upon patented techniques that generate digital fingerprints for audio content. Fingerprints are generated by electronically “listening” to the song or audio file, and do not depend on metadata imbedded in a file which can be corrupted or changed. Future CopySense enhancements will extend protection to other forms of copyrighted media, including video, games and software.

The CopySense technology has already been proven in Audible Magic’s RepliCheck™ anti-piracy information service, an industry standard in the CD replication market. The CopySense appliance utilizes the RepliCheck database, which is one of the largest song registries in the world. RepliCheck offers signatures for over 3.7 million copyrighted titles including the catalogs of the 5 major labels and over 500 independents. Over 5,000 new songs are added each week. Universal Music Group recently announced an agreement to deliver content electronically to RepliCheck for timely registration of their new releases (https://www.audiblemagic.com/news/press-releases/pr-2003-08-12.asp)

“The CopySense Appliance is the first solution to directly address the primary issue of P2P software from a network owner’s perspective, which is the trading of copyrighted files,” said Vance Ikezoye, founder and CEO of Audible Magic. “P2P is not the problem, but the use of P2P to trade pirated content is. With our system, files authorized for trading can still be traded, but with no trades of unauthorized files there are no grounds for copyright infringement litigation.”

With the ability to block transfers of copyrighted files, the system provides an optimal balance between the delicate issues of user privacy and anti-piracy. The CopySense Network Appliance can simply run in the background, acting upon offending P2P files, disregarding everything else.

Developed under a technology sharing agreement recently announced with Palisade Systems (https://www.audiblemagic.com/news/press-releases/pr-2003-09-09.asp), the CopySense Network Appliance is configured through a simple, web browser to define the rules of operation on a network. Additional options include applying P2P usage rules according to time-of-day, or applying them to specific sub-net addresses.

Price and availability: The CopySense Network Appliance is available in three models, for managing 2MB, 50MB, and 150MB networks. CSA-002 is priced at $3,990, CSA-050 is priced at $11,990, and CSA-150 is priced at $19,990. One year of regular content updates, similar to virus signature updates, is included with the initial purchase. Subsequent one-year subscriptions to content updates are available for all three models, priced at $200, $600, and $1,000 respectively. Annual support and maintenance agreements are also available. All three models are available mid-November. For more information, contact Audible Magic at 408.399.6405, or www.audiblemagic.com.

Audible Magic Corporation is the leading provider of content management and anti-piracy services. Its patented content identification technologies and extensive reference database of audio and video content enable the company to monitor, track, manage, filter and monetize multi-media digital content. The company’s core copyright-sensing technology, CopySense®, accurately identifies digital or broadcast media content based on the perceptual characteristics of the content itself. Built on a patented electronic fingerprinting process, the technology is robust, efficient, and massively scalable. Recognized throughout the music and video industry as the de factor leader in identification services, Audible Magic is headquartered in Los Gatos, California. Its customers include Web 2.0 websites, CD/DVD replicators, peer-to-peer networking companies, internet service providers and universities, which span the media and entertainment industries, major business, governmental and educational institutions markets.

For more information, visit Audible Magic’s website at www.audiblemagic.com or contact:

Audible Magic Media & Analyst Inquiries

Jay Friedman
Vice President of Marketing and Product Management
408-399-6405 x238
[email protected]