Audio Watermarking Ready for AACS (Update)

Audio watermarking is now available, via Verance Corp., for licensing by Blu-ray and HD DVD studios to protect discs from being copied illegally. The technology works by embedding an inaudible audio stream within a film's soundtrack, which will then be checked by the player to see if the stream being played is legal. If that stream is present, indicating the file is being illegally used, the file will not be played. This move, while approved in 2006, is being implemented to mend the now broken AACS content protection system. Currently, Universal Studios, Sony Pictures, and Microsoft have adopted the technology (though it is unclear why Microsoft pushes this DRM but doesn't support BD+). The technology should be ready for use later this year. Edit: Presence of the audio stream indicates illegal use, not the other way around as indicated earlier.