‘VEIL’ Signaling Technology Prominent in Analog Hole Legislative Draft
“VEIL” (for “Video-Encoded Invisible Light") technology figures prominently in a discussion draft of Hollywood-backed legislation for plugging the analog hole, according to a copy of the draft we obtained. The draft, for a measure that would be called the Analog Content Protection Act of 2005, is one of 3 prospective bills -- along with broadcast flags for video and audio -- scheduled to be discussed today (Thurs.) at a House Intellectual Property Subcommittee hearing, where leaders of the content and CE industries are to testify, along with key consumer groups.
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According to the draft, VEIL would be mandated as a “rights signaling system” supplementing the analog-based Copy Generation Management System (CGMS-A). VEIL and CGMS-A would conform to encoding, compliance and robustness rules laid out in elaborate detail in the draft. For up to one year after enactment, the VEIL part of the rights signaling system may only be encoded in program formats such as prerecorded media, video on demand, pay-per-view and similar content. Thereafter, VEIL may be encoded “in any and all program formats,” provided CGMS-A is encoded in the same content, the draft says.
The draft also spells out elaborate steps for future- proofing VEIL, under govt. supervision. A party may petition the Patent & Trademark Office (PTO) to adopt, through a formal rulemaking “commercially reasonable improvements to the detection function” of VEIL to maintain “the functionality of the rights signaling system as contemplated in this legislation.” Under the PTO’s watchful eye, such improvements would be negotiated “in good faith.” As part of its determination, the PTO “shall inquire into the licensing terms under which improvements would be licensed with the presumption that the licensing terms shall impose no materially greater burdens than those terms already established for the VEIL portion of the rights signaling system,” it says.
VEIL resides in the full-video-image without signal degradation, goes anywhere that video goes, and can be received by optical or wired means or both, says its developer and licensor, St. Louis-based VEIL Interactive Technologies. The VEIL platform has international capabilities across multiple formats such as NTSC, PAL, and SECAM, it said. “Because we understand the importance of technological advancement and systems compatibility, we are continuously developing and enhancing our platform,” the company said. VEIL representatives didn’t reply to requests for comment on how the technology works in relation to the analog hole and how it came to such prominence on Capitol Hill.