System for keying protected electronic data to particular media to prevent unauthorized copying using a compound key

• US 20030221113A1
• Filed: 02/07/2003
• Published: 11/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Iomega Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Kupka, Michael S., Hawkins, Michael L., Thomas, Trent M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,246,246 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/189
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/007 Encryption, En-/decode, En-/decipher, En-/decypher, Scramble, (De-)compress
• 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 20/00188 involving measures which result in a restriction to authorised devices recording or reproducing contents to/from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00195 using a device identifier associated with the player or recorder, e.g. serial numbers of playback apparatuses or MAC addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system an method for distribution of electronic data over a network infrastructure that includes a client device for operation by a user desiring to receive the electronic data and server that contains the electronic data and offering the electronic data for downloading to the client device via the network infrastructure. The client device communicates a compound data key that includes a unique serial number associated with a particular piece of media to which the electronic data is to be stored to the server, vendor information and user information. The server encrypts the electronic data using the compound key, and downloads the encrypted electronic data to the client computer, where the client computer writes the encrypted electronic data to the particular piece of media such that the encrypted electronic data may only be accessed from the particular piece of media. The electronic data is decrypted for use by the apparatus or another device attached to the apparatus using the compound key as a data key, and the data is accessible from only the one piece of media having the unique serial number and is not accessible from any other media having a different or no identifier. In an alternate embodiment, the apparatus for reading the encrypted electronic data is connected to a general purpose computer having a media drive which reads the unique serial number and the electronic data from the one piece of media. The apparatus comprises an application specific integrated circuit which controls and executes instructions to accept the electronic data and the unique serial number from the general purpose computer.

Claims

1. A method of accessing electronic data stored on a media by a first device adapted to read said media, said electronic data including encrypted electronic data that was written to said media in an encrypted format, said method comprising:

accessing said electronic data on said media;

determining whether said electronic data is encrypted electronic data;

if the electronic data is encrypted electronic data;

building a compound key in accordance with a predetermined operation including use of a unique identifier already permanently recorded on said media;

reading at least a portion of said electronic data from said media; and

decrypting said electronic data using said compound key as a decryption key,

if the electronic data is not encrypted electronic data;

reading at least a portion of said electronic data from said media without performing said building and decrypting.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said building said compound key comprises reading said unique identifier from a predetermined track of said media, obtaining vendor information and obtains user information, wherein said unique identifier, said vendor information and said user information are combined by said predetermined operation into said compound.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said building said compound key further comprises communicating said compound key to a second device, and said reading at least a portion of said electronic data further comprises communicating said portion of said electronic data to said second device, wherein said second device performs said decrypting said electronic data using said compound key as a decryption key.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising:

communicating, from said second device to said first device, an authentication code to said first device;

reading, at said first device, a unique identifier from said media;

comparing said authentication code to said unique identifier, and if said authentication code equals said unique identifier, generating a verification code which is communicated to said second device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

reading a predetermined string from said media;

decrypting said predetermined string;

comparing said predetermined string with a known string; and

halting said method if said predetermined string does not equal said known string.

14. The method recited in claim 1, wherein said unique identifier is a multiple bit disk serial number recorded on said media.

6. An apparatus for reading unencrypted electronic data or encrypted electronic data associated to one piece of media by a compound key that includes at least a unique identifier permanently contained on said one piece of media, comprising:

a processor which controls and executes instructions to read said electronic data and said unique identifier from said one piece of media; and

a media drive, responsive to said processor, which

upon a determination that data to be read from said one piece of media is encrypted electronic data;

reads said unique identifier, wherein said encrypted electronic data is decrypted for use by said apparatus or another device attached to said apparatus using said compound key, which includes at least the unique identifier permanently contained on said one piece of media, as a data key, and wherein said data is accessible from only said one piece of media having said unique identifier and said data is not accessible from any other media having said unique identifier and said data is not accessible from any other media having a different or no identifier; and

upon a determination that data to be read from said one piece of media is unencrypted electronic data;

reads said unencrypted electronic data without decrypting said unencrypted electronic data.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, further comprising an application specific integrated circuit, wherein said application specific integrated circuit performs said decryption.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 7, further comprising a digital to analog converter, wherein said application specific integrated circuit decompresses said electronic data and said analog to digital converter converts said decompressed electronic data into audio signals.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, said media drive further comprising an application specific integrated circuit, wherein said application specific integrated circuit performs said decryption, and said decrypted electronic data is passed to said apparatus.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein said media drive reads a predetermined string from said media, and said processor decrypts said predetermined string and compares said predetermined string with a known string;

and

wherein said apparatus is halted if said predetermined string does not equal said known string.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein said compound key comprises said unique identifier, vendor information and user information.

12. A method of electronically distributing electronic data from one media to a second media within a device, said method utilizing a compound key that includes a unique identifier already permanently recorded on said second media to associate said electronic data with only said second media, said method comprising:

accessing said second media;

reading said unique identifier already recorded from a predetermined location on said second media;

building said compound key, which includes the unique identifier already permanently recorded on said second media, through a predetermined operation using at least said unique identifier already recorded;

reading said electronic data from said first media;

encrypting said electronic data after said reading using said compound key as an encryption key; and

writing said electronic data to said second media, such that information represented by said electronic data may be accessed for use from only said second media, and wherein data on said second media other than said electronic data written according to said writing, if present, may be copied to and accessed from another medium, free of the encryption constraints imposed upon said electronic data by said reading, building and encrypting.

13. The method of claim 12, building said compound key comprises:

obtaining vendor information;

obtaining user information;

building said compound key through said predetermined operation using said unique identifier and vendor information, and said user information.

15. The method recited in claim 12, wherein said unique identifier is a multiple disk serial number recorded on said media.