A coalition led by MovieLabs, CableLabs, Comcast and Rovi have established an independent register for the cataloguing of movies, television shows and other video and audio recordings through a system of unique identifiers.The Entertainment Identifier Registry (EIDR), a non-profit organisation, has the backing of companies and organisations including Deluxe, Universal Pictures, Neustar, Paramount Pictures, Sonic Solutions, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Walt Disney Pictures, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Motion Picture Association of America, Inc., Civolution, Vobile and INA (L’institut national de l’audiovisuel).
The objective is to help streamline digital commerce and simplify consumer transactions. Businesses will be able to search, track rights and report revenue based on an assets’ unique ID. Content producers, for example, would be able to distinguish between different cuts of the same video.
“We believe this standard will improve the flow of information among the companies we work with throughout the industry,” said Mark Hess, senior vice president of advanced business and technology development at Comcast. “EIDR provides the much needed foundation to present consistent data that will allow customers to discover and watch video on multiple platforms. We’re continually offering customers more content, and this is one of the tools that will help us build products to enhance their viewing experiences.”
The IDs within EIDR will function similarly to UPC codes that are used to identify physical packaged goods and the ISBN code for books. The registry will catalogue and assign a single, unique unit of identification to movies and TV assets and can be used for both physical and digital video media that are part of the movie and television supply chain.
The registry is expected to be fully operational early in 2011.
