LEADING DRM COMPANIES JOIN FORCES TO BROADEN INTERNATIONAL REACH FOR EBOOKS AND DIGITAL MEDIA OverDrive and Info2clear announce strategic partnership to help publishers gain access to European markets

PARIS BOOK FAIR March 26th, 2002 -- OverDrive, Inc., a global provider of eBook, DRM and media marketplace technologies, today announced plans to increase retail points-of-sale for eBooks and other digital media internationally through its new partnership with Info2clear, a leading European firm enabling secure DRM and online copyright clearance for publishers. The two companies will combine their expertise and experience in digital rights management technology to expand awareness and acceptance of digital content throughout Europe.

As part of the agreement, Info2clear will resell and distribute OverDrives retail eCommerce solutions in France, Benelux, Germany, UK and Spain. In addition, Info2clear will offer European publishers of eBooks and other media such as music, video and audio books the opportunity to resell their titles through Content Reserve (www.contentreserve.com), OverDrives extensive digital inventory from over 350 leading publishers in MicrosoftÒ Reader, AdobeÒ AcrobatÒ eBook Reader and Microsoft WindowsÒ MediaÔ player formats. Global publishers such as Edizioni Piemme, HarperCollins, John Wiley & Sons, Libuk, McGraw-Hill, Numilog, Planeta Actimedia, S.A. and Random House have successfully utilized Content Reserve to extend their distribution channels online and reach new customers.

Steve Potash, CEO of OverDrive said, Our partnership with Info2clear opens up new opportunities for pan-European publishers who want to deepen their penetration of international markets." Anthony Belpaire, CEO of Info2clear stated, We are very excited about working with OverDrive and adding their products and technologies to our established offerings in Europe. Similarly, we are excited to explore market opportunities for our copyright management services towards US-based publishers and retailers. I believe our partnership with OverDrive will be a significant factor in the development of a global market for the sale of all types of digital content."

In the future, both firms plan to jointly develop and market new technologies that embrace their combined expertise in DRM and digital media.

About Info2clear
Info2clear (www.info2clear.com) was founded in April 1998. The team of 40 professionals is based mostly in Brussels with offices in The Netherlands, UK, France and Spain. Info2clear is a well-capitalized company. Among the shareholders are ABN Amro Capital and Belgacom.
Info2clear helps Media customers to select an approach to digital distribute content best suited to their business models, and then builds the necessary infrastructure. Among Info2clears Media customers are Uitgeversbedrijf Tijd, Roularta Media Group, VNU Business Publications, Albin Michel, Wegener Group and Kanaal Z.
For Business customers Info2clear provides the tool for secure distribution of confidential documents as e-mail attachment. Among Info2clears Business customers are Deloitte and Touche, PWC and Bird & Bird.

About OverDrive
OverDrive, Inc. (www.overdrive.com) is a leading provider of eBook, DRM and media marketplace technologies enabling the secure management and distribution of digital media over global networks. As a strategic partner with Microsoft Corporation (Nasdaq: MSFT) and Adobe Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADBE), OverDrive delivers proven technology for trusted fulfillment and resale of premium content from the world's leading media companies. As a Principal Member of the Open eBook Forum (OeBF), OverDrive is strategically focused on driving specifications and standards for the emerging and rapidly evolving electronic publishing industry. The company was founded in 1986, and is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.

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© 2002 OverDrive, Inc.

Contact:
Jennifer A. Jackson, OverDrive, Inc., (216) 573-6886 ext. 207, jjackson@overdrive.com
Sigrid Debusschere, Info2clear, +32 2 529 59 02, sigrid.debusschere@info2clear.com