MAXIMIZED SOFTWARE LAUNCHES DETERRENT AGAINST INTERNET COPYRIGHT PIRATES

Debate Over Internet Content Protection Takes New Twist With Technical
Solution

IRVINE, CA -- The first Web server-based software module to protect
proprietary images displayed on the Internet from unauthorized downloading
and re-use was announced today by Maximized Software.

Designed for Netscape, Microsoft and Apache Web servers, the SiteShield
content protector is a forerunner of a class of Web server utilities that
enhance and extend the functionality of Web servers.

By integrating with the Web server API, the result is plug-and-play
implementation which requires no additional programming and has no impact
on the speed at which Web pages are displayed, according to Maximized
Software President Ken Spreitzer. "Webmasters can now say to content
providers that steps have been taken to protect copyright or trademarked
graphics and images," he said.

The issue of content protection is currently being debated on the Web, in
corporate board rooms and in the U.S. Congress. At stake is whether or not
existing copyright laws apply to electronic distribution and if Internet
content is implicitly free for re-use.

"To the extent that these uncertainties inhibit full creative expression or
force vendors such as artists and photographers to remove their works from
view, our product is a welcome addition to Web server functionality,"
Spreitzer said.

SiteShield includes three levels of functionality:

* Content protection, which allows webmasters to protect selected images
with plug-and-play simplicity and prevent their re-use, without affecting
on-line viewing in any way.

* Reference protection, which prevents content from being included on a
different site via unauthorized references.

* Content selection, which lets Web servers easily provide different pages
for different browsers.

The SiteShield content protector provides configuration files that enable
webmasters to quickly identify images to be protected. In operation, the
new module intercepts files as they are requested and transforms them
on-the-fly to a protected format.

Protected images are displayed normally in the browser while surfing the
Web. While the transformed images can still be saved locally, they cannot
be viewed or re-used. For example, a browser would display the saved file
as a broken image icon, while an image application would be unable to
display it.

A Java applet is also included to transform targeted files in a manner that
extends the protection benefit to a broader range of browsers.

The reference protection feature addresses a different issue emerging from
the increasing use of unauthorized references between Web sites. Instead
of downloading files, image pirates have become adept at using live links
to build their Web pages from other peoples' work.

"Piracy by reference is a particularly cruel trick because it can add
countless thousands of transactions to the Web server workload," Spreitzer
said. The SiteShield reference protector recognizes out-of-domain requests
and prevents unauthorized access to all types of page content, such as
images, video, audio, Java applets and CGI programs.

"Most people who take proprietary images from Internet Web pages perceive
their actions as harmless fun," Spreitzer said. "However, copyright owners
are required by law to vigorously defend their property against any and
all misappropriation as a condition of exclusive ownership."

Debate Over Internet Content Protection Takes New Twist

The introduction today of SiteShield is expected to fuel an already hot
debate over the legality of copying Web images for re-use.

Most users of the Web don't consider such acts as illegal, according to
Spreitzer. They believe that Internet information is meant to be free, and
that content providers grant an implicit license to users when they put
their materials on the Web.

Other interests are equally vocal in suggesting that electronic
distribution is protected by the same authorship rights as other forms of
publishing. Among the latter is a White House task force that proposes
"fine tuning" existing copyright law to embrace electronic media.

While the issue of Internet copyright protection will eventually be decided
by Congress and the courts, technical solutions such as content protection
software enable content providers to make a powerful public statement
about their property rights.

"Technical solutions may ultimately be the best strategy, since there is
still the matter of policing the Net when and if the gray areas are
resolved in favor of copyright owners," Spreitzer said.

Maximized Software's technical solution, SiteShield, takes a "look but
don't touch" approach. It enables Webmasters to quickly identify target
pages or images for protection against downloading to a user's disk.

"Our product addresses the commercial basis for Internet Web sites, as
opposed to public domain material," Spreitzer said. This encompasses
high-profile images such as Mickey Mouse or Bugs Bunny, original Web page
graphics and catalogs of artists and photographers, to name a few
examples.

According to P.J. Benedict O'Mahoney, who masters a Web page dedicated to
copyright issues (http://www.benedict.com/), "the frightening reality is
that almost everything on the Net is protected by copyright law [and] that
can pose problems for the hapless surfer."

The greater problem, however, is faced by copyright owners who may
jeopardize their exclusive ownership unless they continuously and
vigorously take steps to enforce their rights. They are torn between the
desire for massive marketing and sales exposure on the Internet and the
possibility of their pages being pirated for unauthorized use. They may
clearly identify their copyright material and even place warnings about
misuse on their pages, but the images can still be downloaded.

Maximized Software designed its content protector as a plug-in module for
Web server software from companies such as Netscape, Microsoft and The
Apache Organization. It gives complete control to webmasters who, for the
first time, can offer a technical response to the fears of content
providers.

Another area of concern is unauthorized references from one page to
another, Spreitzer noted. SiteShield can be used to deny requests for
content from another site, thereby protecting images, audio, video, Java
applets and other content.

According to Webmaster O'Mahoney, "there appears to be a doctrine of
implied public access on the Web. The Web was created on the basis of
being able to attach hypertext links to any other location on the Web."

While reference links can be detected by analyzing log reports, up until
now the only recourse has been to request discontinuance of unwanted
references. SiteShield resolves this issue in a more certain manner.

"Our company is dedicated to and dependent upon a flourishing Internet that
works equally well for marketers and consumers," Spreitzer said. "Content
protection software will have served this end if it encourages full
creative expression by on-line marketers without fear of rip-offs and
without excessive regulation."

Pricing and Availability

The beta version of SiteShield content protector for Netscape on Windows NT
is immediately available on-line. Final versions for Netscape (NT, SunOS,
Solaris), Microsoft (NT) and Apache (SunOS, Solaris, BSDI Unix) Web
servers are scheduled for release within 30 days and are priced at $499.
Ordering information is available at http://maximized.com.

Company Background

Maximized Software, headquartered in Irvine, California, was founded in
1992 by Ken Spreitzer. Prior to establishing Maximized Software, Spreitzer
achieved industry fame as author of the original Uninstaller for Windows
-- a best-selling utility program. The charter of Maximized Software is to
develop a suite of Web server utilities designed to enhance and extend the
functionality of Web servers.

Contact: Beverly Lages, Lages & Associates
Voice: 714-453-8080
Email: 76400.2765@compuserve.com
 
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