Watermark-based copy management system and method for digital media copy protection

• US 20020114459A1
• Filed: 02/20/2002
• Published: 08/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kuzmich, Vsevolod M., Belenko, Vyacheslav S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,434,056 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/201
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00884 involving a watermark, i.e. a barely perceptible transformation of the original data which can nevertheless be recognised by an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467

Abstract

Watermark-based copy management method and system for digital copy protection are disclosed. The system includes a copy control information analyzer analyzing a first copy control information included in an original watermark embedded into an original media data set, the first copy control information being set to one of “copy freely”, “copy for display only”, “copy one generation”, “copy never”, and “no more copies”; a playing element playing the original media data set only if the first copy control information is set to “copy one generation”; a watermark generator embedding a player watermark into the played data set, the player watermark including a second copy control information set to “no more copies”; and a recording device recoding the player watermark-embedded media data set. One of the primary goals of the present invention is to reliably embed copy control information into the played media signal by a copyright owner of the media and by a playing device using a watermark technology.

Claims

1. A watermark-based copy management method for digital media copy protection, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving an original media data set that includes an original watermark, said original watermark including a first copy control information which is set to one of “

copy freely”

, “

copy for display only”

, “

copy one generation”

, “

copy never”

, and “

no more copies”

;

analyzing said first copy control information to determine whether said first copy control information is set to “

copy one generation”

;

playing said original media data set only if said first copy control information is set to “

copy one generation”

;

embedding a player watermark into said played media data set, said player watermark including a second copy control information set to “

no more copies”

; and

transferring said player watermark-embedded media data set to a recording device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said original watermark further includes watermark type and owner identification information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said player watermark further includes player identification information.

4. A watermark-based copy management method for digital media copy protection, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving an original media data set that includes an original watermark, said original watermark including a first copy control information which is set to one of “

copy freely”

, “

copy for display only”

, “

copy one generation”

, “

copy never”

, and “

no more copies”

;

analyzing said first copy control information to determine whether said first copy control information is set to “

copy one generation”

;

playing said original media data set only if said first copy control information is set to “

copy one generation”

;

embedding a player watermark into said played media data set, said player watermark including a second copy control information set to “

copy for display only”

; and

transferring said player watermark-embedded media data set to a displaying device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said original watermark further includes watermark type and owner identification information.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said player watermark further includes player identification information.

7. A watermark-based copy management system for digital media copy protection, the system comprising:

a copy control information analyzer analyzing a first copy control information included in an original watermark embedded into an original media data set, said first copy control information being set to one of “

copy freely”

, “

copy for display only”

, “

copy one generation”

, “

copy never”

, and “

no more copies”

;

a playing element playing said original media data set only if said first copy control information is set to “

copy one generation”

;

a watermark generator embedding a player watermark into said played data set, said player watermark including a second copy control information set to “

no more copies”

; and

a recording device recoding said player watermark-embedded media data set.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said original watermark further includes watermark type and owner identification information.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein said player watermark further includes player identification information.

10. A watermark-based copy management system for digital media copy protection, the system comprising:

a copy control information analyzer analyzing a first copy control information included in an original watermark embedded into an original media data set, said first copy control information being set to any one of “

copy freely”

, “

copy for display only”

, “

copy one generation”

, “

copy never”

, and “

no more copies”

;

a playing element playing said original media data set only if said first copy control information is set to “

copy one generation”

;

a watermark generator embedding a player watermark into said played data set, said player watermark including a second copy control information set to “

copy for display only”

; and

a displaying device displaying said player watermark-embedded media data set.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said original watermark further includes watermark type and owner identification information.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said player watermark further includes player identification information.