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Salzburg, April 26, 2003 - Sony DADC has announced the release of Metamorphosis - a new SecuROM
encryption technology which will enhance SecuROM's capabilities as the most secure copy protection
provider currently available. This new powerful generation of sophisticated copy protection is an
important step for developers and the software industry in keeping their ideas safe on CD-ROM and
DVD-ROM. As a first, SecuROM will present this new innovative solution to the industry at the E3
exposition in Los Angeles from May 14-16, 2003 in Kentia Hall, Booth 6245.
Top games are often available on the web prior to their official street release. But there is
hope for the games industry. SecuROM, a copy control solution developed at Sony DADC, has been able
to offer unlike other copy control providers protection to their customers for many weeks. Lee
Briggs, Security Manager at Eidos explains, "We found it very rewarding to work with Sony on the
implementation of this new kind of protection. Three days of hard work gave us a crack-free sales
window until "Hitman 2 : Silent Assassin" had entered at number four in it's first full week of
sales." Some further successful examples are "Anno 1503" (Sunflowers), "Vietcong" (Take 2) and
"Gothic II" (JoWooD) which couldn't be cracked for five weeks.
The technology behind this success is called Trigger Functions and was first presented to the
industry by SecuROM at the Electronic Entertainment Exposition (E3) in Los Angeles in 2002.
Providing more effective copy control than conventional systems with only one check at program
start, SecuROM Trigger Functions allow game developers to program multiple and fully customisable
authentication checks throughout the entire application. SecuROM's revolutionary security
enhancement has also proven successful for its customers by preventing 1:1 copying. Sony DADC
reports that since early 2002 discs equipped with SecuROM™ technology have been prevented from
being copied 1:1.
To continue to stay ahead of piracy, SecuROM is taking security to the next level. One year
later and again at the industry's most important annual gathering place, the E3, SecuROM will
present a new sophisticated copy control feature. The new powerful element is named Metamorphosis
and an addition to SecuROM's existing copy control solution.
This Next Generation Cracking Defence is an important step for developers and the software
industry in keeping their intellectual property safe on CD-ROM and DVD-ROM. The feature dynamically
arranges and rearranges the programmed code in a way which requires a bit-by-bit search to find the
hidden checks making reverse-engineering attempts not only time-consuming but highly complicated.
"Metamorphosis is a new level in securing the sales revenue of games in the first weeks after
their release," says Bernhard Wiesinger, Product Manager of SecuROM. "Metamorphosis protected games
can't be tampered with or ripped to a compressed format." As with all SecuROM solutions,
Metamorphosis offers many customer benefits. Aside from the high level of security, SecuROM
customers will enjoy the Online Encryption Toolkit allowing the encryption of executable files in
minutes via the Internet. With its highly advanced digital signature, SecuROM is compatible with
100% of the CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drives available, allowing publishers to offer their consumers a
copy controlled disc which can be used on any available drive.
To witness the technology as a first, please visit the SecuROM booth at the E3 exposition in
Los Angeles from May 14-16, 2003 in Kentia Hall, Booth 6245. For more information, please email
Robert Hernandez at
Robert_Hernandez@sonymusic.com or
contact via phone at +1/541-988-7602 and visit SecuROM at
www.securom.com.
Sony DADC Group - Leading Solution Provider for the Entertainment Industry Founded in 1986, Sony
DADC, located in Salzburg / Austria, is the world's number 1 optical media manufacturer and part of
Sony's global CD manufacturing network. This includes facilities in Japan, Hong Kong, Shanghai,
Australia, India, the USA, Canada, Brazil and Mexico. Sony DADC manufacturing facilities include
extensive pre-mastering operations, high-volume mastering capabilities, precision replication
systems and offers a full range of high quality label print options including offset and screen
print. A dedicated fulfilment centre handles full-service disc packaging, warehousing and
direct-retail product shipping. In addition, Sony DADC has a wide range of software and value added
services available, positioning Sony DADC as the number one solution provider for the games, music,
film and video industry. To provide its customers with the most up-to-date technology available,
Sony DADC heavily engages in research and development and has already created innovative
content-based services such as Digital Asset Management. This commitment to progress ensures that
Sony DADC remains the one-stop-shop service provider for a wide range of customers.
Producing over 550 million discs per year, Sony DADC has an annual turnover of 470 million
Euro (FY 2002/2003). Since its foundation, Sony DADC has been successfully serving over 3200
customers. The intense cooperation within this network, and its internationally homogenous quality
and performance standards, make Sony DADC the perfect partner for worldwide product releases.
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