M+E Daily

USB Drive Maker Kingston Gains CDSA Content Security Certification

Kingston Technology Company, whose flash memory devices have been used by the likes of Paramount and Sony Pictures to deliver home entertainment to consumers, announces its completion of the Content Delivery and Storage Association’s (CDSA) Content Protection and Security accreditation.

Kingston is the world’s first flash memory entertainment provider to successfully undergo the trade group’s international auditing process.

The Content Protection and Security Standard was developed by a worldwide consortium of anti-piracy and security experts to address the evolving needs of today’s physical and digital content delivery supply chains — from content creation to post-production and replication through distribution. It is the result of over 10 years of in-the-field development at more than 100 sites worldwide and is supported by major content holders, including NBC Universal Pictures and Electronic Arts. CDSA’s Content Protection and Security Standards program helps organizations to establish, implement, monitor, maintain and improve entertainment media and content security management processes and better protect intellectual property and related assets.

“Kingston’s achievement of CDSA Content Protection and Security accreditation reflects the flexibility of our program to address the changing ways that content will be delivered to consumers in the years ahead,” said Linda Dyson, worldwide director of CDSA’s Anti-Piracy and Compliance Programs. “Kingston has demonstrated excellence in its content security approaches and execution, and we applaud their proactive leadership as one of the newest categories of content storage and delivery technologies.”

“Kingston offers content providers a one-stop technology service that includes lower costs, shorter lead times and full supply-chain support,” said John Ho, vice president, U.S. operations, Kingston. “CDSA certification aligns our manufacturing processes with industry standards in place at leading DVD, Blu-ray and CD manufacturers so that we can provide the same level of security and confidence to our content partners as we expand our content delivery services.”

Kingston most recently released the Sony Pictures Home Entertainment concert documentary “Michael Jackson’s This Is It” on a special limited-edition, serial-numbered Kingston DataTraveler USB Flash drive. Kingston has also worked with Paramount Digital Entertainment to release “Star Trek” and both “Transformers” films on its USB Flash drives.

“Content holders are looking beyond the DVD and consumers are looking for a more portable option for content that takes up a lot less space,” said Rick Webb, vice president, consumer markets group, Kingston. “Most netbooks do not have an optical drive, making our Flash memory solutions perfect vehicles for content delivery. Kingston views content as a way of adding value to our products and differentiates us from our competitors.”

More than 24 new applicant facilities worldwide have applied for CDSA Content Protection since January 2010, evidence of growing acceptance of the program’s value to content holders and its relevance to their service providers.