At MIPCOM this week, representatives from the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE) announced a roadmap for the international deployment of their cloud-based digital video access system UltraViolet.

Launched in the US in 2011 and in the UK earlier this year, the rollout of Ultraviolet titles in Canada is to start this fourth quarter 2012. Launches in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland will follow early next year, with UV set to go live in Germany and France in the third quarter of 2013

Speaking in Cannes, Jessica Schell, executive VP of new media and digital entertainment at UltraViolet backer Universal Pictures, said Universal, Sony, Fox, Warner and Paramount are now putting all of their major releases into the UV format, eventually making available 7,200 UltraViolet releases, including Hollywood blockbusters and European titles.

There was a note of caution. Dominique Masseran, CEO of Fox Pathé Europa, warned that, for a successful UV deployment, a number of legal roadblocks will need to be resolved. DECE coordinators will be responsible for the launch. "They will have the difficult task to settling possible legal issues in the wake of the introduction of the system?s digital rights management (DRM) such as distribution contract, exclusivity, private copies, etc. [...] There are also technical and marketing challenges that will have to be taken on board these coming months."

Shell was cautious as well: "It really takes content providers, retailers and other access providers to engage in order for people to be able to actually use UltraViolet in that territory," she was quoted in C21 Media. "Local content is going to be critical to success. For retailers and distributors, what's key here is that the consumer benefits will drive consumer loyalty and sales, and also give retailers increased learning about their customers that they can use in marketing."

Story filed 11.10.12