58results about "Circuits to prevent unauthorised copying/reproduction" patented technology

A content distribution system and method which prevents unauthorized access to secured content such as movies and music. The apparatus includes a source, a receiver, an authorized security device such as a conditional access module (CAM) for decrypting authorized content, an output device for outputting content and a backend for managing accounts and system operations. One aspect of this invention provides a mechanism for providing secured content on a medium such as a DVD optical disc. These devices may verify that there is authorization to play the secured content, add watermarks to the secured content, convert the secured content to a displayable form and provide a means for preventing output of the secured content.

A method and apparatus for distributing proprietary material employs multiple watermarks embedded in the proprietary material for enhanced copy protection. A first watermark is to be processed by programmable and non-programmable devices configured to process the first watermark for copy protection of the proprietary material. If a programmable device eliminates the first watermark so that unauthorized copies of the proprietary material can be made, then non-programmable devices configured to process a second watermark as well as the first watermark look for and process the second watermark for copy protection of the proprietary material upon their failure to detect the first watermark.

A method of encrypting a motion picture file and a method of digital rights management using the same, wherein encryption method includes: extracting information on the location of at least one video sample, which is a real-time streaming unit, from meta-data of the motion picture file; extracting the video samples based on the location information; encrypting the extracted video samples, excluding a start code within a video sample header of each extracted video sample, based on predetermined encryption information; and producing an encrypted motion picture file by recombining the encrypted video samples. Since the file is encrypted in units of video object planes (VOPs) while maintaining an MEPG-4 file format, the encryption method can be easily applied to a completed file format and streaming service is also possible.

A system and method are provided wherein digital data representing content and associated license rights may copied to a storage medium, such as a removable storage medium, whereby the serial number of the copied-to storage medium is integrated into the licensing scheme utilized to secure the digital content. As a result, the digital content is pre-authenticated and bound to the copied-to storage medium, obviating the need to access a network or other location for access to the protected content.

Disclosed herein is a system for recording a marking in the readout area of an optical media, wherein the marking does not interfere, or substantially interfere, with the readout of data from the optical media. The system disclosed herein is supportive of commercial production requirements. Markings may contain content as desired by the user of the system, including text, graphics, or other items. The marking is formed in a photosensitive coating that is applied to the optical media, and then cured with a first light. A second light, having a substantially separate band of wavelengths from the first light, is used to image a marking into the coating. The coating is robust to many external influences, such as ambient environmental conditions, and physical wear.

A data storing medium has a digital data area in which encrypted digital data or non-encrypted digital data is written, a control data area in which control data necessary for reproducing recorded digital data is written, and a copyright control information area in which copyright control information necessary for decrypting encrypted digital data is written, wherein the copyright control information area is write-prohibited, and wherein the control data area is write-permitted.

A marking system that includes forming at least one marking in or on an article, wherein the image formed is not visible to the unaided human observer, and further contains at least one digital watermark. The digitally watermarked image comprises emissive and photoabsorptive portions. The digitally watermarked image is applied using a substance reactive to a predetermined excitation source, and exposure to ultraviolet light. Other traditional techniques, such as printing with fluorescent inks may be used in combination. The digitally watermarked image is subsequently observable upon exposure to the predetermined excitation source. The digitally watermarked image may be observed and decoded by appropriately configured detection systems, wherein the information obtained may be used for purposes including, but not limited to, authentication and security of the article or information contained within the article.

A content distribution system and method which prevents unauthorized access to secured content such as movies and music. The system includes a source, a receiver, an authorized security device such as a conditional access module (CAM) for decrypting authorized content and an output device for outputting content. The system can also include a backend for managing accounts and system operations. One aspect of this invention is that the content data is derived from the Internet. The system allows for the verification of authorization to play secured content, the addition of watermarks to the secured content, the conversion of the secured content to a displayable form and the means for preventing output of the secured content.

A system and method for providing Digital Rights Management (DRM) using multiple watermarks are disclosed. In one embodiment, upon purchase of a digital asset, a copy of the digital asset that is watermarked with a content specific watermark and a user, or purchaser, specific watermark and a digital certificate including content specific watermark information and user specific watermark information corresponding to the watermarks in the copy of the digital asset are generated. The copy of the digital asset and the digital certificate are provided to the user. Thereafter, access to the copy of the digital asset is controlled based on a comparison of the watermarks in the copy of the digital asset and the watermark information in the digital certificate.

A number of data items are selected for inclusion in a data set so as to discourage a transmission of the entire set over a limited bandwidth communications path, such as the Internet. The data set includes an entirety parameter that is used to determine whether the entirety of the data set is present. In a preferred embodiment, the entirety parameter is a hash value that is based on watermarks of each data item. When presented for rendering, the watermarks of the data items in the presented material are read and a hash value based on the presented watermarks is computed. A mis-match between the computed hash value and the entirety hash value contained in the data set indicates that less than the entirety of the data set is being presented, and the rendering is prohibited.

When a technique for specifying an unauthorized terminal based on a combination of watermarks embedded in content distributed without authorization is applied to content distributed on recording media, recording capacity limits of the recording media lead to a limit on the number of combinations of watermarks that can be embedded in the content, and only a limited number of terminals can be specified. In the present invention, all terminals are sorted into the same number of groups as there are combinations of watermarks, and a group that includes an unauthorized terminal can be specified based on the combination of watermarks embedded in the content. When the group including the unauthorized terminal is specified, this group is divided into groups, and a plurality of groups that do not include the unauthorized terminal are integrated. This enables the unauthorized terminal to be specified while keeping within the capacity of the recording medium.

A video masking processing method and a video masking processing apparatus using the same are provided. The video masking processing method photographs frames constituting a video, detects at least one masking area to be masked in the photographed frames, masks an image in the detected at least one masking area, inserts masking information including information on the masking into the photographed frame, and stores the frame which has undergone the masking and has the masking information inserted thereinto. Therefore, since images related to personal information in a photographed video are masked, a user does not infringe others' privacy in a video normally photographed by a CCTV or a dashboard camera.

A watermark in the form of an added message is attached to a digital recording so that a significant content of the recording is completely unchanged by the process in the sense that any reader commonly used for such recording will extract from the recording exactly what would have been extracted in the case the added message had not been attached. This is done by hiding the added message in the error correcting code (ECC) for the significant content of the recording.

Watermark embedding is often used to identify multiple copies (Qi) of the same content (Q). Each copy (Qi) is provided with a different private watermark (Wi) which, for example, identifies the player on which that copy may be reproduced. Private watermarks can be hacked. Averaging two or more watermarked copies may cause any of the private watermarks to become undetectable. The watermark embedder (10) in accordance with the invention embeds a global (fixed) watermark (W) in addition to the private watermark (Wi). The global watermark is the same in each copy and therefore remains detectable. Its presence indicates that a private watermark shall be present as well. It can be used in a protocol like: no playback allowed if the global watermark is present and a private watermark is not found.

Many methods for reversible watermarking (embedding schemes that allow perfect reconstruction of the original host signal) are highly fragile in the sense that the slightest modification of watermarked content prohibits the recovery of both the original signal as well as the embedded auxiliary data. In order to obtain robustness against transmission or channel errors, the embedding method according to the invention accommodates error correction data in a portion of the data embedding capacity. In an advantageous embodiment, the host signal (36) is segmented in segments, and error correction data (p(n)) for a segment (S(n)) is accommodated in data (37) being embedded in a subsequent segment (S(n+1)) along with restoration data (r(n)) for reconstructing the host signal. The remaining portion of the embedding capacity is used for payload (w).

On an information record medium (10, 11), record information can be recorded one time or a plurality of times by a predetermined record format. An apparatus for manufacturing the information record medium by using a stamper (27, 28) is provided with an embossed pit array forming device (20 to 26, 50) for forming on the stamper as an embossed pit array, pre-record data (SFi) which is a predetermined data row to disable overwriting on the record information in a pre-record area, which is set in advance in a range including an area (13c) assigned to information required to control a reproduction of the record information, which is recorded by the predetermined record format.

Content material is protected with a variety of watermarking processes. Different subsets of the protected content material are submitted to different watermarking processes. At the rendering device, a watermark detector is configured to detect one or more different watermarks. Only if the particular watermark(s) that the rendering device is configured to detect is removed from the protected content material will the rendering device permit the rendering of the protected material. If the particular watermark(s) that the rendering device is configured to detect is unpredictable, or if the particular segment that is protected by a particular watermark is undetectable, a wholesale removal of specific watermarks from the watermarked material will neither be efficient nor economically viable.

A method for protecting digital media from illegal copying by placing in predetermined locations of the digital media a set of Logical Digital Signatures (LDS), each of which causes retrieval of a different Sense Code (SC) and comprise a different signature, and utilizing an authentication module, which contains, or has access, to the signatures, for detecting the presence of the logical errors. The method comprises activating the authentication module whenever the content of the storage media is accessed, performing read operation of the locations wherein the LDSs are located, storing the Sense Code (SC) obtained from each read operation in a memory, and allowing access to the content of said storage media if information was retrieved following the LDS read operation and it matches the information that was originally stored, as accessible by the authentication module, and if different SCs were obtained from the reading operation of the different LDSs, otherwise preventing the access to the content of the storage media.

In the data structure for backing up management files, management files that manage reproduction of data from the recording medium are stored in a recording area as is a back-up directory. The back-up directory includes a copy of each management file as a respective back-up file.

Apparatus and a method are described to enable reading apparatus to access content data of an optical disc such as a DVD where the content data carried by the DVD is encrypted by an encryption technique that requires a decryption key or keys. Reproduced content data corresponding to the encrypted content data is provided and this reproduced content data, at least some of which may be encrypted using a different technique, is made available for access by a reading apparatus. The reproduced content data may be stored on the same optical disc as the encrypted content data or at a different location, for example on a storage medium which may be coupled to the reading apparatus or at a location on a network that can be accessed by the reading apparatus.

An article of manufacture includes a machine-readable medium that stores a multimedia content file in a first format and multiple program sets. Each program set is a version of software that, when executed by a respective electronic system, produces the multimedia content file in a second format for use in the respective electronic system. A first program set is compatible with a first operating system executed by a first electronic system and a second program set is compatible with a second operating system executed by a second electronic system. The second operating system is distinct from the first operating system.

A video information recording apparatus includes a first obtaining unit operable to obtain video information to be recorded; a second obtaining unit operable to obtain thumbnail picture information to be recorded in correspondence with the video information; an encrypting unit operable to encrypt the thumbnail picture information; and a recording unit operable to record the video information and the encrypted thumbnail picture information onto a recording medium.

An article of manufacture includes a machine-readable medium that stores a multimedia content file in a first format and multiple program sets. Each program set is a version of software that, when executed by a respective electronic system, produces the multimedia content file in a second format for use in the respective electronic system. A first program set is compatible with a first operating system executed by a first electronic system and a second program set is compatible with a second operating system executed by a second electronic system. The second operating system is distinct from the first operating system.

A record medium for recording an information signal in which a first watermark and a second watermark have been embedded, the first watermark being embedded when the information signal is transmitted as an analog signal, the second watermark being embedded when the information signal is further transmitted.