Sonic awarded key patents for advanced interactivity

Sonic Solutions has been awarded several new patents, the most significant of which is US Patent 6,944,621 for dynamic content revision.
The Sonic technology covered in the ‘621 patent allows the updating or augmenting of multimedia content on portable storage media including CD, DVD, UMD, Blu-ray Disc (BD), HD DVD, and flash memory. Originally deployed on DVDs, this technology is now a studio-required feature in the proposed specifications for the next-generation Blu-ray and HD DVD formats. The patent allows Sonic to develop unique features in its professional and consumer applications, as well as to license the technology to content owners, software developers, game console and consumer electronics manufacturers, and other industry partners.
Sonic’s dynamic content revision technology allows the publishers of content on portable storage media to update or augment that content over the web or through a local cache. Game publishers or movie studios, for example, can replace trailers and advertisements or change menu selections, providing a very cost-effective way to keep content “fresh” as well as deliver ongoing promotions and e-commerce offerings. The technology has been embraced by major Hollywood studios for their DVD releases of InterActual-enabled titles such as ‘Lord of the Rings: Return of the King’, ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’, and the ‘Star Wars’ trilogy and is expected to be available soon on BD and HD DVD discs.
"These latest patents underscore the increasing technical depth and breadth of Sonic’s role in the digital media industry," said Richard Doherty, Research Director of the Envisioneering Group. "The patents are a foundation of Sonic’s strength because they secure the company’s Sonic, Roxio, and InterActual products, which lead their respective sectors and enable professionals and consumers to author, record, and play audio-visual content and data files to and from disc. By licensing its patented technologies, Sonic also offers the entire industry an opportunity to benefit from new and enhanced capabilities."
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