Macrovision splits into two units

Digital rights management company Macrovision is splitting into two business units that will focus on either entertainment or software-protection products.

The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company on Tuesday said the Entertainment Technologies Group will include video and music technology and the part of its consumer software division that handles its SafeDisc protection technology. The company's Software Technologies Group will comprise its enterprise software division and SafeCast protection technology.

Macrovision, which makes copy-protection software, said it decided to reorganize because entertainment and software companies have different protection needs.

"With this reorganization, our heightened focus and seasoned management team can accelerate our ability to deliver seamless, robust copy protection," company CEO Bill Krepick said in a statement.

Macrovision Chief Technology Officer Steven Weinstein will serve as general manager of the Entertainment Technologies Group. Dan Stickel, who led the enterprise software division, will serve as general manager of the Software Technologies Group.

Macrovision says its anticopying protection has been applied to more than 100 million CDs. In April, the company struck a licensing deal with Microsoft.

Macrovision's software also has come under fire. In May, Intuit announced that it would discontinue using Macrovision's product-activation technology, which locks software to a specific PC, because of customer complaints.