Most of the terms of the settlement remain confidential.
Without liability, and as part of the agreement, Manwin has agreed to implement — and is already testing — the copyright filtering software offered by Vobile Inc., on its various tube site properties. The program flags fingerprinted content and helps prevent users from sharing material that is not theirs to share.
“Anti-piracy programs, and the use of protective software, were within our plans from the moment the assets were bought,” said Fabian Thylmann, managing partner at Manwin. “Since March, we’ve been taking various measures to implement procedures that support good industry practices. It has been a pleasure to work with Vobile, and we are happy that the Free Speech Coalition has partnered with such a strong contender in the field."
Manwin’s implementation of the fingerprint filtering applies not only to Pink Visual content but all studios who maintain digital fingerprints with Vobile, either now or in the future.
Pink Visual President Allison Vivas said her company is pleased with the settlement and emphasized that settling the case is in no way an indication that Pink Visual will be stepping back in its effort to protect its intellectual property rights.
“We are serious about enforcing our rights as copyright owners, and feel that we’ve come to an agreement that is reasonable for both parties,” Vivas said. “The incorporation of the technology for digital fingerprint filtering by the tubes was a necessity from our perspective, and we are happy that Manwin has agreed to incorporate that technology through the FSC’s Anti-Piracy Action Program (APAP).”
"The agreement provides that Manwin will incorporate the Vobile digital fingerprinting software, which is the back end powering the FSC Anti-Piracy Action program; therefore creating a benefit to all content owners in the industry who also choose to digitally fingerprint through APAP at any time."
FSC Executive Director Diane Duke told XBIZ that the settlement between Ventura and Manwin "signals to the entire industry that there is a workable solution."
"Vobile software has been working with FSC diligently to make the program affordable and provide options for the producers and the tube sites to move toward a new revenue stream for online content," she said.
"FSC’s Anti-Piracy Action Program not only affords content providers with a means to react, take down and when necessary litigate, but also the opportunity for tubesites to become a big part of the solution."
Content owners and operators of user-generated content sites can get more information about the FSC APAP program at FSCAPAP.com
Vivas noted that studios and site operators attending the upcoming Content Protection Retreat will have the opportunity to learn about the APAP program in-depth.