Sonic Solutions announced today that RITEK Corporation has signed a Qflix technology and IP licensing agreement. RITEK is now taking orders on specialised DVDs that will enable the on-demand recording of digitally distributed entertainment with CSS encryption (Content Scramble System) - the same protection found on commercially mass-produced titles.

The Qflix DVDs will be used by duplication system operators providing custom DVD publishing services to Internet retailers and in movie kiosks that will offer retail customers touch-screen access to a virtual inventory of rich content. The Qflix media will also be available for consumer use in the home as a way to legally record premium entertainment downloaded from the Internet.

In addition to appearing on recordable DVDs, the Qflix brand will appear on other consumer products and services including compatible drives and video download services as a symbol for consumers looking for legitimate "purchase, download, and burn" solutions. Qflix is also the label for the technology and licensing program that includes product and component certification to enable content owners, service providers, and manufacturers of recordable media, PC DVD writers, network-connected DVD recorders, set-top boxes, and software to create compatible and interoperable solutions

The royalty-bearing Qflix licensing program for media and optical drive manufacturers was established by Pioneer and Sonic to facilitate the adoption of secure download and burn applications in accordance with the approved industry specifications for recording downloads set by the DVD Forum and the DVD Copy Control Association.