Softbank Corp. and digital rights
management company Reciprocal
Tuesday formed a joint venture to bring digital content distribution and
protection services to Japan.
The venture, tentatively called Softbank Digital Rights, Inc., will rely on
the digital rights management (DRM) and distribution systems of Reciprocal,
and the facilities owned by Softbank. The venture aims to enable Japanese
businesses to sell digital content both on- and off-line.
Softbank and Reciprocal expect the venture to propel digital commerce in
Japan, pointing to intellectual copyright concerns as the major factor that
has held back widespread use of digital distribution.
Reciprocal will also support the partnership through rights enforcement and
clearing, information and financial clearing, tracking, reporting services
and customer support.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“This partnership leverages the experience Reciprocal has gained around the
globe servicing a broad range of customers in music and publishing,” said
Duncan Shaw, Reciprocal’s senior vice president and head of global business
development. “It also complements our significant presence in Europe through
our relationship with Bertelsmann AG in Germany, where we provide DRM and
clearinghouse services to BMG Storage Media for the secure online delivery
of content.”
Masayoshi Son, Softbank founder and chief executive officer, said the deal plays into
his company’s plans to become “the hub of the massive digital commerce
market.”
The two companies plan to enter a formal joint venture in the first quarter
of next year, and expect to begin offering DRM and clearinghouse services
soon thereafter.
Softbank Digital Rights has already signed its first customer — eS!Music, a
music portal created by Softbank Commerce and Yahoo! Japan, a separate joint
venture between Yahoo! (YHOO)
and Softbank.