Protection of content stored on portable memory from unauthorized usage

Abstract

A device for securely recording protected content to a portable memory, and for reading the protected content therefrom. The device includes a feature that makes it adapted to read or write specially-configured portable memories that are incompatible with standard read / write devices. For example, the device may be designed to work with memories having an unusual shape or size, or may manipulate the data in a non-standard way before storing it on the memory. The read / write devices are trusted components that will only handle the protected content in accordance with rules governing the content. The feature included in the device is preferably a proprietary and / or hardware feature, so that counterfeit devices incorporating the feature cannot be built without overcoming economic and / or legal hurdles. Because of the hurdles to building devices compatible with the specially-configured portable memory, protected content can be transferred to such a memory with reasonable assurance that the content will not be widely copied.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED CASES [0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 896,781, entitled “Protection of Content Stored on Portable Memory from Unauthorized Usage,” filed Jun. 29, 2001.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention is directed generally to the protection of digital content. More particularly, the invention is directed to a system and method for protecting content stored on portable memory against unauthorized use. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Portable memories may be used to store content and transfer the content between computing devices. Examples of such portable memories include CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, floppy disk, tape, flash memories, etc. Data may be recorded onto one of these portable memories using a read / write device connected to a first computer. The portable memory may then be removed from the first computer, and inserted into the reading device of a second computer. Using this technique, it is possible use a po...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010] As an alternative to using non-standard hardware, the reader may be programmed to use a non-standard data representation scheme. For example, read / write devices may encrypt / decrypt the content with an unusual, non-standard cryptographic algorithm, or may use a non-standard compression or data-reordering scheme. The particular method of representing the data may be proprietary, thereby deterring creation of “rogue” devices that implement the scheme.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the above-mentioned authentication between the read / write device and the rendering device does not take place cryptographically. As an alternative to cryptographic authentication, the interface between a rendering device and a read / write device may incorporate unique and / or proprietary hardware features that make the interface difficult to spoof—features similar to those discussed above in connection with the interface between the read / write device and the portable memory. Because the manufacturer of a counterfeit read / write device or rendering device would have to invest in building hardware incorporating the feature, the production of counterfeit read / write devices or rendering devices is deterred. This deterrence may limit the number of counterfeit read / write devices and rendering devices to the point that authenticity of the devices may be presumed from the existence of a successful connection between them.

Problems solved by technology

The memory and reader are designed such that the memory cannot easily be read by any reading device other than the one that it is designed to work with.

For example, if the memory is an optical disk, the optical disk may be of a non-standard shape or size so that it will not fit in the drive of commonly-available readers such as CD-ROM drives.

The hardware features may be proprietary, thereby presenting legal hurdles to the creation of counterfeit devices.

While it is relatively easy to wage purely software-based attacks against security schemes, a security technique that cannot be broken without investing in new hardware tends to deter hacking attempts.

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