Adobe aims to enable multi-device video rights

Adobe Systems today announced a service it hopes will enable TV companies to let people to watch their video where they want--cable TV subscribers who'd like to see a show on their computer, tablet, or mobile phone, for example.
Such sharing has been difficult because of rights management issues: those who create premium video content are leery of seeing it spread willy-nilly, and supporting a multitude of devices is complex and expensive.
The Adobe Pass service is designed to smooth over these issues using a combination of Adobe's Flash software and HTML5 Web technology. Users need only log in to the service; no "additional" downloads are required beyond, presumably, Flash or a browser that's up to snuff.
"The Adobe Pass solution enables content providers and programmers to adjust to a changing market- allowing consumers to watch pay TV outside of their living room, while staying committed to a single provider," Adobe said in a statement.
The service works on Windows, Mac OS, Android, iOS, Blackberry OS, and Google TV, Adobe said. And it's won over a few partners in the pay-TV business, both content creators and distributors: Turner Broadcasting System, MTV Networks, Comcast, and Synacor. Pricing to use the
The move shows Adobe's gradual move from lower-level technology to higher-level services. The company has a big business selling programming tools that let people create Flash content and applications, but Adobe Pass bridges to a future where Flash Player can't be expected to be installed--on Apple's iPhone and iPad, for example.
"The solution leverages the industry leading Flash Platform for a seamless high-quality experience along with Adobe Flash Access for enhanced security," Adobe said in a statement. "Adobe Pass also utilizes HTML5 for devices where Adobe Flash technology is not yet available."
But Adobe offers some reassuring words for piracy-phobic pay-TV companies that choose the Flash route: "The Flash Access client-side security built into Flash Player 10.1 and higher enables fraud prevention by binding the user to their device so limits can be set on devices per-household account," Adobe said.