Kariblink Digital, a local based web firm aims to patent software it has already developed to 'Whiplash' piracy by instantly shutting down illegal online rebroadcasters.

The firm currently awaits a response from the international copyright body having already paid the requisite fees.

The development of the software is a rare defense against piracy by the local copyright sector valued at some five per cent of the nation's output. The software arose out of Kariblink's need to plug lost revenues from the illegal rebroadcast of its live feeds for Sting.

"What we did was to look at our model and adapt it. We created a software called Whiplash. Its a software that protects your live video assets. If someone in California is rebroadcasting your stream in a basement behind a proxy. We can isolate that stream even if they are using an analogue code (video camera)," stated Dave Lindsay chief technical engineer at KaribLink Digital speaking at yesterday's Seminar on Payola and Anti-piracy hosted by the Broadcast Commission of Jamaica. Incidentally, KaribLink was streaming the seminar live on-line."You can now broadcast your feeds without fear of people rebroadcasting it. Once you log-on and take our feed."

The software traces illegal digital and or video-camera rebroadcast via a code. Subscribers receive an identification code which when scanned returns information to the rights holder. Illegal rebroadcasts would reveal that code and traces the origin of the subscriber and empowers the rights holder to instantly block the subscriber's feed.

"We have had up to 8,000 people watching our broadcast of Sting at one time in the past. But then there were some people who took our broadcast feed and rebroadcast it on the internet," he continued. "So we would charge US$50 and they would charge no fee just to promote their website."

The company lost some 50 per cent of revenue from illegal broadcast of Sting in the year prior to the 2009 development of the software. Whiplash's website states that it is the leader in live pay-per-view broadcasting, with an all in one system that allows the collection, connection and protection of the feeds.

Kariblink's customers include CNN, BBC and Digicel.

The seminar included Evon Mullings general manager Jamaica Music Society (JAMMS) who presented on piracy and anti-piracy.

"In Jamaica there isn't much hard data however we have seen the closure of numerous record stores and video rental stores which indicates lost jobs," Mullings stated adding that in the past a hit record in Jamaica would sell tens of thousands of copies."

Those who hurt are producers, publishers songwriters composers, graphic artistes and photographers and taxes, he added. Global estimates are that two in ever five recordings are pirated.

"In Jamaica it may be bigger than we realise," he said. "People say that piracy promotes the artistes. But it (denies) the record producer to enjoy the earning from the record although he spent money to produce the work."

Other presenters included Dennis Howard musicologist, Cordel Green executive director of the BCJ, professor Hopeton Dunn chairman of the BCJ and others.

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Kariblink Digital