Why Is Establishing a Clearly Defined Chain of Custody So Important?

In the Media & Entertainment (M&E) industry, activities around the security of content have mainly focused on anti-piracy measures. These actions have included a variety of technologies such as digital rights management (DRM), fingerprinting, watermarking and take-down notice issuances, but, by and large, content piracy continues to result in multi-billion dollar losses. Today, however, there is an entirely new set of complications which has made it critical for the M&E industry to establish rules and procedures to ensure that a chain of custody be a priority in the content creation-to consumption cycle.

A&M Managing Director Edward Hanapole and Director Thomas Ohanian take a deep dive into the security risks in the M&E industry and how to implement best practices and protocols to establish a robust chain of custody. 

Key Considerations for Media Organizations When Evaluating a Chain of Custody Process

To establish an effective chain of custody process, clear procedures must be in place, encompassing proper documentation, detailed records, timestamps and signatures – all of which are essential at each stage of the process. However, various challenges can hinder the smooth execution of the process, making the endeavor cumbersome. Let’s explore a few key topics to consider:

• How Deep Fakes, Alterations and Generative-AI Can Impact Content Quality
• Watermarks Alone Are Not Sufficient
• Digital Fingerprinting at the Camera Source
• Another Way of Thinking About Encryption
• Blockchain Integration
• Ensuring Unalterable Integrity: Immutability
• Today's Content Now Exists as Files