BETHESDA, Md.- Nov. 26, 2001-- ContentGuard, Inc., the leading provider of Digital Rights Language technology, has launched version 2.0 of its eXtensible rights Markup Language (XrML), which broadens the range of business models available to digital content and Web Services providers. ContentGuard has also released a Software Developer's Kit to enable developers to build XrML-based Digital Rights Management (DRM) solutions quickly and easily. ContentGuard also confirmed today that it will hand control of XrML to an international standards organization. The company is currently in discussions with several standards organizations about accepting this governance role. By allowing the governance and development of XrML to be managed by an independent body, ContentGuard is seeking to open up XrML's future development to broad industry participation. ContentGuard also plans to propose XrML 2.0 to any standards organization seeking a Rights Language. Within the last week such proposals have been made to MPEG-21 and TV Anytime. XrML, the most comprehensive and advanced Digital Rights Language in the world, is based on years of research at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), which invented the rights expression language concept. XrML is currently the only Rights Language being used in working DRM solutions, including DRM solutions from Microsoft. "The DRM industry is seeing vendors and content providers examining how best to leverage the potential of digital content and related Web Services,'' said Michael Miron, co-chairman and CEO of ContentGuard. "We believe that the availability of standard, foundation technologies, such as the XrML 2.0, will accelerate digital content distribution and Web Services initiatives by alleviating the concerns of being restricted to a technology platform, a business model, a media type, a format, a proprietary solution or a particular vendor.'' XrML 2.0 expands the capabilities of a Digital Rights Language -- usually thought of in connection with authorized use of protected digital content -- to now also allow developers to establish the rights and conditions needed to access various Web Services. As part of a trusted environment, XrML can be used to apply rights to a wide variety of content and services to enable custom tailoring of digital offerings. For example, a Financial Services company can expand its online products from simple password access to customized and personalized offerings that combine services and content such as portfolio analysis, real time video, on-line consulting, or research reports. Each offering can use different rights (e.g. view, save, forward), conditions (e.g. free, fee based, limited time) and delivery methods (e.g., downloaded, streamed, ASP). New services with specific rights can be added to individuals or user groups through use of XrML. The XrML 2.0 specification is available free at http://www.xrml.org. "Microsoft has been using XrML since its inception, and we look forward to expanding the use of XrML in the future,'' said Will Poole, vice president, New Media Platforms Division for Microsoft. "The open interoperability offered by XrML is vital to the success and rapid innovation of the many content security efforts throughout the industry.''