Fortium Technologies

Fortium Technologies is a British company based in Bridgend, South Wales that develops and licenses DRM technology for use on optical discs in an attempt to prevent unauthorized copying which is used by film and production companies to protect DVD videos. Fortium Technologies also creates image composition analysis software that is used by leading security and compliance vendors to detect pornographic images for the purpose of Web or e-mail filtering. Although critics have claimed the software is far from perfect and has been known to send many false alarms and warnings, it has performed well since its launch in 2001 and currently filters emails for over 15 million business users. Fortium also develops image and video fingerprinting and detection software that is used by Middle Eastern ISPs and mobile phone networks to filter inappropriate content as well as film studios and other content owners to prevent their copyright material from appearing as movie clips on websites without their authorisation.

Fortium Technologies was formerly known as First 4 Internet. According to on-line records at UK Companies House (link below), the name was changed to "Fortium Technologies Ltd" on 20th November 2006. Attention was drawn to First 4 Internet in connection with Sony BMG when they developed the XCP active component that was used on some SonyBMG CDs to enable users to make up to three protected copies. Fortium ceased developing and licensing active software programs in November 2005 [http://www.fortiumtech.com/Copy_Control_on_Recordable_DVD.aspx] and since then only develops passive software programs.

ee also

* Extended Copy Protection
* Digital rights management
* OpenMG, DRM used by Sony BMG's SonicStage software for Sony Connect on-line music store
* Rootkit
* File sharing and the law

External links

* [http://www.fortium.co.uk/ Official site]
* [http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/f28a46ac5ed312a022006db373a99636/compdetails Companies House] (showing change of name)
* [http://cp.sonybmg.com/xcp/english/titles.html List of titles affected by XCP]