Connecticut-based internet systems specialist USA VideoInteractive Corp (USVO) has been named the official digital watermarkingcompany of the 2004 AFM, which runs in Santa Monica from Feb 25-Mar 3.

The company will unveil its digital watermarking technologyMediaSentinel at a press conference on Feb 27. The software package is based onUSVO's proprietary content protection technology and embeds ownershipdetails and other information in video content.

USVO recently licensed the anti-piracy product to its firstnon-exclusive customer Tri-Vision Technologies International, a wholly ownedsubsidiary of Tri-Vision International, which holds the patents for the V-chip,a parental control device for consumer electronics products.

'MediaSentinel is a perfect fit with our late stageV-chip licensing programme from a marketing standpoint,' Tri-Visionpresident Toshinori Ikebe said in a statement.

'The robustness of MediaSentinel is exactly thesolution to satisfy content providers without interfering with the customer'senjoyment of high quality digital TV.'

'Having a company of the calibre of Tri-Vision asan early MediaSentinel partner is a truly exciting validation for us,'USVO president Edwin Molina added.

'The combination of these fundamental technologies- the V-Chip for viewer control and MediaSentinel to deter piracy -constitutes a major breakthrough for consumers and content owners concernedwith the safe and legal use of video content.'