TUALATIN, Ore.-Sept. 20, 2001--Digimarc Corp, the world leader in digital watermarking solutions, announced today that it will partner with Corbis Corp. to support the launch of Active Content Solutions, a collection of digitally watermarked images that will act as its own distribution and licensing platform -- providing new marketing channels for both companies. Corbis will deploy the Digimarc ImageBridge(TM) Enterprise Pro solution to embed Corbis images with imperceptible digital data that will link viewers directly to image-specific destinations once the image is opened or scanned. Corbis will also distribute the Digimarc ImageBridge reader software with its royalty-free images, providing viewers with automatic access to brand management services such as copyright notification, licensing opportunities and additional promotional information related to those images. "Digimarc's brand management solutions are an important component for companies like ours that focus on distributing and licensing media via the Web,'' said Piper Carr, business development manager for Corbis. "Digitally watermarked images extend our marketing capabilities by carrying specific marketing and promotional information as images travel through the Web, linking viewers back to our site.'' "With Digimarc ImageBridge,'' said Carr, "images become much more than just fine art and beautiful photography -- they become a marketing tool to help drive our brand and customer experience to a whole new level. Furthermore, Digimarc also helps agencies like Corbis to credit photographers and market their work in a way that protects their work.'' Image viewers will have an opportunity to download the Digimarc ImageBridge reader free of charge when they access any image from Corbis' royalty-free image collection. The reader software will enable the viewer to detect and read an embedded digital message within a Digimarc-watermarked image. The digital message links viewers directly to a specific Website that provides further metadata on the image such as the location of similar images on the Web, copyright and licensing requirements, and purchasing opportunities. Corbis will also deploy the Digimarc MarcSpider image tracking service to monitor the use of its digitally watermarked images as they travel through the public Web and help identify image usage infringements. "Corbis continues to set the trend in the digital image space with their launch of Active Content Solutions,'' said Reed Stager, vice president and general manager of the Digimarc Media Commerce product group. "Our partnership will not only make digital watermarking solutions for brand management and enhancement ubiquitous on the Internet, but also will bring new revenue channels for organizations, such as stock photo agencies, that own and distribute large quantities of digital assets.''