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Does Patented Chaincast VMR Technology Stomp on Internet Property Rights?

US Patent #6249810 was issued to Chaincast Networks, Inc. for what is called Virtual Multicast Routing or (VMR) Technology. This technology flies in the face of centuries of established property rights and it probably does so because of the newness of the internet and the lack of understanding of how property rights apply to internet bandwidth.

Chaincast technology is used in the distribution of streaming media and is currently most prevalent in the streaming of broadcast radio audio programming on the internet. Some very large radio networks use this technology to “lower their cost of content delivery”. VMR technology is embedded within the unsuspecting users computer when the user is requested to download the VMR hosting service’s “patented media player”.

Once the radio station’s desiring online listener has checked the software provider’s “User License Agreement” checkbox, the media player begins to deliver the audio content. This is not where the story ends. The Chaincast technology takes over and as the name suggests, the radio broadcast is forwarded, using the listener’s bandwidth, to many more online listeners of the radio station. . . .

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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