License Agreement Focuses on Digital Watermarking of Product Packaging TUALATIN, Ore.--March 13, 2002--Digimarc Corp, the world leader in digital watermarking solutions, announced today that Westvaco Brand Security Inc. (WBS), a wholly owned subsidiary of MeadWestvaco Corp., has licensed its digital watermarking technology for use in counterfeit and fraud deterrence, product packaging authentication and other brand security applications. "Digimarc is delighted that Westvaco Brand Security will be enhancing the value of its packaging solutions by offering Digimarc Excalibur and Digimarc MediaBridge technologies to thwart counterfeiting and tampering activities that erode a firm's most valuable assets -- the equity of its global brands,'' said Michael Gorriaran, Digimarc vice president of sales and chief marketing officer. "We believe this relationship will accelerate the adoption of Digimarc's digital watermarking technology as a security feature in the packaging market.'' WBS can embed a Digimarc Excalibur secure digital watermark, which is detectable by reader software and hardware but virtually imperceptible to the human eye, on the exterior of consumer-product packaging. Carrying information about the creator or distributor of the product, the digital watermark will allow companies to differentiate counterfeit from original products instantly through package inspection. The technology also offers track-and-trace capabilities to assist in locating the potential source of counterfeit packaging. WBS can utilize Digimarc's MediaBridge technology to offer companies a new way for their customers to connect print and online marketing initiatives and to enhance the value and usefulness of brand packaging. When a Digimarc MediaBridge digital watermark on product packaging is read by a consumer's PC camera, scanner or other optical device, special watermark-reading software initiates the display of a web destination or a web-based application specified by the company or targeted to a specific customer. This technology not only gives consumers a personalized experience, companies can use it to deliver ancillary information, such as product specifications. "The agreement with Digimarc expands our growing portfolio of technologies and enhances our ability to provide multi-layered `BrandTheft Solutions' to brand owners around the world,'' says Stanley G. Hart, president and CEO of WBS. "We'll continue to explore acquisitions, licensing agreements, partnerships and other ways to extend our industry leadership and achieve our goal of providing the broadest-possible range of sophisticated products and services to prevent all manners of brand theft.''