Dynamic Content Tracing via Iterative Marking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current copyright enforcement systems fail to effectively track multiple uses of copyrighted content across different equipment and locations, as existing watermarking technologies do not provide information on unauthorized copying and are costly to implement.
Innovation Solution
A system that iteratively marks content with use information, allowing multiple subsequent uses to be traced by embedding incremental running marks that include details such as user identification, equipment information, and time of use, without significantly increasing the cost of playback units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If watermarking is performed at the point of authoring with a fixed watermark, then the source of authoring can be identified, but no information on the identity of unauthorized copyists is provided
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static watermark into a dynamic tracing signal that changes with each use. The signal is updated at playback units to incorporate use information such as copyist identity, equipment used, and time of copying, making it adaptive rather than fixed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent pre-allocates message holes in the content during authoring where tracing information can be embedded. This preliminary preparation allows subsequent insertion of use-specific information without requiring complex real-time processing at playback units.
2Loss of information
If circuitry is added to provide use information at the playback unit, then copyist identity can be traced, but the cost of the playback unit increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses signal copying and processing rather than requiring expensive dedicated hardware at each playback unit. The tracing functionality is achieved through software-based signal manipulation that can be implemented in existing playback equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs the tracing signal system to be universally applicable across different playback units and content types. The same message holes and tracing mechanisms work across audio, video, and software content, reducing the need for specialized expensive hardware.
3Reliability
If a protective signal is injected into the signal stream, then piracy can be thwarted, but the signal must be unpredictable and difficult to detect or remove
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds tracing information in specific localized message holes within the content rather than uniformly throughout. This allows the protective signal to be hidden in discrete locations that are difficult to detect but can be reliably extracted when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses message holes as intermediaries to carry tracing information. These holes serve as hidden carriers that are not directly perceptible in the content but can be detected and decoded by authorized systems, providing protection without obvious detection.
4Loss of information
If the content is marked with running marks as disclosed in the '774 patent, then the source of unauthorized copying can be traced, but the system does not address multiple subsequent uses on different equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nested tracing where multiple levels of information are embedded within the content. Original running marks from the '774 patent are nested within a broader system that adds subsequent use information, allowing tracing through multiple generations of copying and different equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent ensures continuous tracing capability across multiple uses by maintaining and updating the tracing signal throughout the content lifecycle. Each subsequent use adds to rather than replacing the tracing information, creating an unbroken chain of custody that tracks the content through multiple equipment and users.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a system configured to process content to enable tracing of at least one of a multitude of subsequent uses of content by at least one user. The system provides for: making markable content from content, iteratively marking the markable content with information such as use information; and later extracting at least one of the iteratively applied marks.