GeoGuard, Skyhook collaborate on home viewing verification service

GeoGuard and Skyhook are collaborating on a solution that ensures viewers are verifiably watching films and TV at home.

“Before Ultra HD movies are made available for early release, studios need to be absolutely certain that the content is safe from piracy,” said David Bairstow, VP of product, Skyhook. “To meet the standard set by the studios, a number of security measures must be in place. This new solution with GeoGuard, the first of its kind, ensures that a home cinema viewer is actually at a viewer’s home – and not spoofing a location in order to broadcast the movie in a public place or to illegally distribute proprietary content.”

With new services entering the consumer market - such as the recently launched Screening Room - which aim to offer early release and cinema release films to viewers at home, tools that accurately detect geo-location fraud are set to become increasingly important for the protection of digital content rights. To that end, the collaboration combines Skyhook’s Wi-Fi access points database with GeoGuard’s studio-approved and third party tested anti-fraud toolkit.

“This announcement is a continuation of the relationship between GeoGuard parent GeoComply and Skyhook, through which we successfully provide geo-location services to the gaming industry,” said David Briggs, co-founder and chairman of GeoGuard. “This new solution now provides the content industry with uniquely precise geo-location data combined with today’s strongest counter-measures against geo-location piracy. The joint solution is designed to enable studios and network operators to plan the launch of early release UHD home cinema with the comfort of knowing that the early-release content will only be shown in the homes that it is intended for.”

The effort is a continuation of the existing relationship between GeoGuard parent GeoComply and Skyhook, through which the companies provide geo-location services for the gaming industry.