System for preventing piracy of recorded media

• US 5,651,064 A
• Filed: 03/08/1995
• Issued: 07/22/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 544483 Alberta Limited
• Original Assignee: 544483 Alberta Limited
• Inventors: Newell, Chester W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Laufer, Pinchus M.
• Application Number:
  US08/401,025
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 380/4, 380/21, 380/49, 380/3, 380/50
• US Class Current: 705/51
• 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]

Abstract

A system for preventing unauthorized copying of recorded information has a number of independently identifiable storage media holding the information in encrypted form and a number of drives for the storage media, the drives each having a key which decrypts the information on at least one of the storage media. The drives are in communication with a host computer which compares the identities of the storage media with each other and with an authorized list of identities. Should an identity be unauthorized or duplicated, indicating unauthorized copying, the host computer can send a message to the corresponding drive that disables either that drive or the storage medium having that identity. The host computer periodically revises the encryption codes of the control and storage media that are authorized and not duplicated.

Claims

1. A system for storing and retrieving information comprising:

a plurality of information storage media being both readable and writable, each of said storage media storing encrypted information, said encrypted information including an identity of said storage medium,

a drive associated in a read/write relationship with each of said storage media, said drive having means for storing a cryptographic key in said drive, said drive further having means for reading said encrypted information from an associated storage medium and means for decrypting said encrypted information based on said cryptographic key as said encrypted information is read by said means for reading, said drive also having means for encrypting information based on said cryptographic key and for writing encrypted information on said storage medium, and

a host computer having means for communicating with each said drive including means for receiving from said drive said identity of said storage medium and means for transmitting to said drive a revised cryptographic key for encrypted writing on said associated storage medium,

said host computer also having means for checking for a duplicated identity of said storage medium and means fur disabling all storage media having said duplicated identity.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said identity is an encryption key.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said host computer further includes means for checking for an unauthorized identity of said storage medium and means for disabling said storage medium having said unauthorized identity.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said host computer further includes means for disabling all of said storage media in response to receiving from said drive at least one of said duplicated identity and an unauthorized identity.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for communication of said host computer and said drive includes a satellite.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein each said storage medium has an independent encryption key and each said associated drive has a key fitting said encryption key.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said information storage media include an optical storage medium.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said information storage media include a magnetic storage medium.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said information storage media include non-volatile semiconductor memories.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising means, connected with said drive, for providing said decrypted information to a remote system.

11. A method for preventing piracy of recorded information comprising:

providing a plurality of information storage media and a plurality of drives associated with said storage media, a host computer and a means for communication between said drives and said host computer, said storage media being both readable and writable, said storage media including optical disks and magnetic disks,

said drives encrypting and storing information including a different identity in each of said storage media,

said drives reading encrypted information stored on said storage media including decrypting on-the-fly said encrypted information, the encryption and decryption performed using a cryptographic key stored within said associated drive

transmitting said identities of said storage media to said host computer from said drives,

comparing said identities by said host computer, and

if an identity of a storage medium is duplicated, disabling all storage media having said duplicated identity by said host computer.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said comparing said identities by said host computer includes matching said identities with a list of authorized identities, and if a storage medium has an identity different from said authorized identities, disabling said storage medium having said different identity.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising enabling an authorized storage medium which has been disabled, including replacing at least an identity and encryption key of said storage medium.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising interrogating said drives by said host computer regarding identification of said storage media.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising periodically transmitting a replacement encryption key from said host computer to said drives, and employing said replacement key to restore said encrypted information in said storage media.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein said information is encrypted and decrypted with a public and private key system.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein storing encrypted information in each of said storage media includes employing a different encryption key with each said storage medium.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said encryption key is recognized by said host computer as said identity of said storage medium.

19. A method of preventing piracy of stored information comprising:

providing a host computer and providing a plurality of information storage media having associated drives, said storage media being both readable and writable said storage media being optical disks or magnetic disks,

said associated drives storing information in each of said storage media in independently encrypted form and decryptable by said associated drives on-the-fly, including storing an identity of each of said storage media, the encryption and decryption performed using a cryptographic key stored within said associated drive

transmitting said identities of said storage media from said associated drives to said host computer,

comparing by said host computer said identities, and if said host computer detects a duplicate identity, disabling said storage media having said duplicated identity,

transmitting from said host computer to said drives replacement keys for encryption and decryption of said information in said associated storage media not having said duplicated identity, and

storing said replacement keys in said drives.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein comparing by said host computer said identities includes matching said identities with those from an authorized list, and if said host computer detects an unauthorized identity, disabling said storage medium having said unauthorized identity.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising issuing a different encryption key to an associated drive of an authorized storage medium having said duplicate identity, including storing a new identity in said authorized storage medium.