VOD tech gets Teutonic patent

World Brief

By VARIETY STAFF

German software company media[netCom] has been granted an international patent for its Cinema-on-Demand technology by the European patent office.

The software is also protected in Australia, Brazil, China, Israel, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the U.S. and the United Arab Emirates.

The firm plans to test the technology in Hamburg, Cologne, Berlin, Munich and Rosenheim. Its French subsidiary is launching similar projects in a joint venture with France Telecom. Test runs are also in the works in Austria and the U.K.

Media[netCom] has licensing agreements with several distributors for content.