Thomson Strengthens its Position in Content Security through Acquisiti

    Business Editors

    PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 31, 2005--Thomson (NYSE:TMS)(Euronext:18453) has acquired MediaSec Technologies GmbH, a pioneer in digital watermarking and copy detection technologies. MediaSec, based in Essen, Germany, with a presence in the US, has a strong portfolio of patents and software products which Thomson will build on to meet the Media & Entertainment industries' growing need for content security and tracking solutions.
    Digital watermarking involves secure, covert, and imperceptible marking of digital media such as video, images, audio and any type of digitally processed document. The watermarking process embeds invisible information into the content, making such information inseparable from the content and extremely reliable for tracking and authentication purposes.
    MediaSec's core watermarking technology was invented by its co-founders, Dr. Eckhard Koch and Dr. Jian Zhao, and has received a number of awards for outstanding security innovations, including the Fraunhofer Prize in 1998. MediaSec has applied its watermarking technology to a range of solutions, including copyright protection, brand and asset protection, document authentication, and anti-counterfeiting including such applications as secure labels for DVDs.
    MediaSec will be integrated in Thomson's Software & Technology Solutions (STS) Business Unit, within the Group's Technology division.
    "MediaSec's portfolio of patents and software products will be adapted to the needs of the Media & Entertainment industries and complement Thomson's existing content protection offer. We believe that with such an innovative content security offering, Thomson will be in a unique position to serve content creators and studios," said Jean-Charles Hourcade, Senior Executive Vice President, Technology and Group Chief Technology Officer.

    About Thomson - Partner to the Media & Entertainment Industries

    Thomson (Euronext Paris: 18453; NYSE: TMS) provides services, systems and technology to help its Media & Entertainment clients - content creators, content distributors and users of its technology - realize their business goals and optimize their performance in a rapidly changing technology environment. The Group intends to become the preferred partner to the Media & Entertainment Industries through its Technicolor, Grass Valley, RCA and Thomson brands. For more information: www.thomson.net.

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CONTACT: Thomson Press Relations: Monica Coull, +33 1 41 86 53 10 monica.coull@thomson.net Aline Caranicolas, +33 1 41 86 68 53 aline.caranicolas@thomson.net Investor Relations: Severine Camp, +33 1 41 86 57 23 severine.camp@thomson.net David Schilansky, +33 1 41 86 52 38 david.schilansky@thomson.net

KEYWORD: NEW YORK FRANCE INTERNATIONAL EUROPE INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TELECOMMUNICATIONS MERGERS/ACQ SOURCE: Thomson

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