The government will introduce a bar code system for digital content to enhance copyright protection. The Information Ministry said yesterday that it plans to promote a system to the public to tag videos, text files, photographs and other content published on the Web with a unique registration code.

This code, called a universal content identifier or UCI, is like a resident registration number. It enables anyone using the content to track it, thus, the ministry said, cutting back illegal distribution and copyright violations.

The ministry said the digital content industry is growing by 30 to 40 percent every year, but there is no standard distribution system. It also said the rise of services such as digital multimedia, broadcasting and digital TV calls for a system involving UCI to start within this year.

“As we can see from the tremendous popularity of user-created content on the Internet, digital content is a core industry that will lead the 21st century. However, there is no system to categorize and identify such content. If we establish a working international standard, we can become a global model for digital content distribution,” the ministry said.

By Wohn Dong-hee for JoongAng Daily