[C&C for Human Potential / NEC Corporation]



Press Release
Media Contacts:- 
Aston Bridgman
NEC Corporation
TEL:     81-3-3798-6511
FAX:     81-3-3457-7249
E-mail : Aston_Bridgman@HO-PRD.ccgw.nec.co.jp
 
John Anello Jr. or
Marc Triaureau
Signafy, Inc.
TEL:     609-734-7620
E-mail : anello@signafy.com
 
Kazuko Andersen
NEC USA Inc.
TEL:     212-702-7052
FAX:     212-702-7054
E-mail : andersek@ccgate.ml.nec.com

*****For immediate use March 2nd, 1999

Signafy Launches "OwnerMarkTM1.2" Digital Watermarking Software To Fight Copyright Infringement
- Standard Edition 30-Day Trial Available -

Signafy Inc., an affiliate of NEC Corporation (NEC) (NASDAQ: NIPNY) has released OwnerMarkTM*11.2 software that helps fight copyright infringement of still images such as photos and illustrations, by embedding a robust and unique digital watermark into each image to prove ownership. Photographic piracy is considered a growing as the market for digital images rapidly expands.

OwnerMarkTM applies a robust and unique "proof of ownership" digital watermark by using sophisticated spread spectrum image processing techniques1 to an image's perceptually most significant areas. It provides added security by requiring access to the original image to detect the proof of ownership mark. Signafy's*2 method makes the watermark in the image invisible to the human eye yet virtually impossible to remove.

OwnerMarkTM1.2 Standard Edition enhances the functionality, ease of use and affordability of the software, to provide digital image copyright owners with proof of ownership at the click of a mouse button. This version supports widely used graphics file formats.

Also available for purchase online is OwnerMarkTM 1.2 Professional Edition, designed for companies and professionals that manage large collections of images or handle specialized images such as medical images. The Professional version offers enhanced features including support for a wider range of file formats, batch watermarking and manual image registration.

"For Internet offerings, digital watermarking technology is now within the reach of ordinary Web users," said Dr. Mitsuhito Sakaguchi, CEO of Signafy. "Signafy's technology makes it extremely easy for buyers and sellers of images over the Internet to verify the true ownership of the products, creating a more secure environment for trading images on-line."

OwnerMarkTM1.2 Standard Edition can be downloaded for a 30-day free trial, or purchased for $99 online at http://www.Signafy.com. OwnerMarkTM 1.2 Professional Edition is available online for purchase only, priced at $499.

Signafy, in collaboration with NEC Corporation, has been a driving force to create a universal enabling technology to safeguard the copyright of various media such as video and images. Signafy is currently working with other leading electronics companies to develop a formidable digital watermarking technology for DVD contents.

About Signafy

Signafy Inc., founded in 1997 and based in Princeton, NJ is a subsidiary of NEC USA, Inc. Signafy specializes in digital watermarking and data hiding solutions for still images, videos and DVDs. Signafy's products include InvisibleInkTM*1 that supports Oracle 8iTM*3 and Informix DataBladeTM*4. Signafy also offers consulting services.

***

Notes:

*1: OwnerMark and InvisibleInk are trademarks of Signafy Inc.
*2: Signafy's spread spectrum techniques automatically insert watermarks into the image's perceptually most significant areas by analyzing frequency levels or details of the image.
*3: Oracle 8i is a trademark of Oracle Corporation.
*4: Informix DataBlade is a trademark of Informix Corporation.
This story originates from NEC-USA in New York


[Copyright(C) NEC Corporation 1999. NEC and C&C are trademarks of NEC Corporation.]