Copy protection system for recording media

• US 6,094,723 A
• Filed: 04/30/1997
• Issued: 07/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Otsuka, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DIEU MINH T
• Application Number:
  US08/846,773
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 395/186, 395/183.14, 360/60, 360/55, 360/71, 360/79, 360/99.07, 369/44.33, 369/58, 369/53, 713/200, 713/165, 713/167, 714/38
• US Class Current: 726/31
• 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: 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 20/00746 wherein the usage restriction can be expressed as a specific number
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1252 for discontinuous data, e.g. digital information signals, computer programme data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1258 where blocks are arranged within multiple radial zones, e.g. Zone Bit Recording or Constant Density Recording discs, MCAV discs, MCLV discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1883 Methods for assignment of alternate areas for defective areas
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1889 with discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/1259 with ROM/RAM areas
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers

Abstract

The number of times installation has been performed is recorded in a recording and reproduction area of a recording medium as installation is performed. When an application program is requested to be installed to another recording medium, the number of times installation has been performed is checked and installation is performed only when the number is less than the specified number.

Claims

1. A recording medium, comprising:

a recording and reproduction area; and

an application program and an install control program recorded on said recording and reproduction area, wherein said install control program directs a first drive unit to record into said recording and reproduction area information concerning installation of said application program as install management information when said application program is installed in another recording medium,

wherein said install control program directs said first drive unit to record in said recording and reproduction area performed-installation count information indicating the number of times said application program has been installed in another recording medium as said install management information,

wherein said install control program compares said performed-installation count information recorded in said recording and reproduction area with permitted-installation count information indicating the predetermined number of permitted installations when said application program is requested to be installed in another recording medium, and does not allow said application program to be installed when said performed-installation count information is greater than said permitted-installation count information, and

wherein said install control program controls a second drive unit which operates said another recording medium to uninstall said application program from said another recording medium and directs said first drive unit to decrement said performed-installation count information recorded in said recording and reproduction area, when said application program is requested to be uninstalled.

2. A recording medium comprising at least a recording and reproduction area,

wherein an application program and an install control program are recorded, and

said install control program directs a first drive unit to record information concerning installation into said recording and reproduction area as install management information when said application program is installed in another recording medium,

wherein said install control program directs said first drive unit to record in said recording and reproduction area performed-installation count information indicating the number of times said application program has been installed in another recording medium as said install management information,

wherein said install control program compares said performed-installation count information recorded in said recording and reproduction area with permitted-installation count information indicating the predetermined number of permitted installations when said application program is requested to be installed in another recording medium, and does not allow said application program to be installed when said performed-installation count information is greater than said permitted-installation count information,

wherein said install control program controls a second drive unit which operates said another recording medium to uninstall said application program from said another recording medium and directs said first drive unit to decrement said performed-installation count information recorded in said recording and reproduction area, when said application program is requested to be uninstalled,

wherein said install control program directs said first drive unit to record verification information for identifying said another recording medium in said recording and reproduction area as said install management information as said application program is installed, and

said install control program references said verification information recorded in said recording and reproduction area when said application program is requested to be uninstalled and does not allow said application program to be uninstalled from the recording medium of said second drive unit irrespective of said permitted-installation count information when it is determined that the recording medium of said second drive unit is not an installation-destination of said application program.

3. A recording medium according to claim 2, wherein said verification information is time information.

4. A recording medium according to claim 2, wherein said verification information is the directory information of said application program in the recording medium of said second drive unit.

5. An installation management method for installing an application program recorded in a first recording medium to a second recording medium comprising the steps of:

receiving a request to install an application program onto a second recording medium;

starting an install control program from said first recording medium comprising at least a recording and reproduction area where the application program and the install control program are recorded, wherein said install control program directs a first drive unit to record information concerning installation into said recording and reproduction area as install management information when said application program is installed in another recording medium, wherein said information concerning installation includes a performed-installation count indicating a number of times installation of said application program has been performed;

comparing said install management information with permitted-installation count information indicating a predetermined number of permitted installations when said request is received that said application program is to be installed in said second recording medium; and

disabling installation of said application program when said performed-installation count information is greater than said permitted-installation count information in said step for comparing and enabling installation of said application program when said performed-installation count information is less than said permitted-installation count information.

6. An installation management method according to claim 5, wherein a file system is recorded in said recording medium, and

said install control program operates according to said file system.

7. An installation management method according to claim 6,

wherein said recording medium has a reproduction-only area, and

said file system and said install control program are recorded in said reproduction-only area.

8. An installation management method according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

controlling a second drive unit which operates said another recording medium according to said install control program to uninstall said application program from said another recording medium; and

controlling said first drive unit to decrement said permitted-installation count information recorded in said recording and reproduction area, when said application program is requested to be uninstalled.

9. An installation management method for installing an application program recorded in a first recording medium to a second recording medium comprising the steps of:

starting an install control program from said first recording medium comprising at least a recording and reproduction area, wherein an application program and the install control program are recorded, and said install control program directs a first drive unit to record information concerning installation into said recording and reproduction area as install management information when said application program is installed in another recording medium;

comparing said install management information with permitted-installation count information indicating the predetermined number of permitted installations when it is specified that said application program is installed in said second recording medium;

controlling a second drive unit which operates said another recording medium according to said install control program to uninstall said application program from said another recording medium;

controlling said first drive unit to decrement said permitted-installation count information recorded in said recording and reproduction area, when said application program is requested to be uninstalled disabling installation of said application program when said performed-installation count information is greater than said permitted-installation count information in said step for comparing and enabling installation of said application program when said performed-installation count information is less than said permitted-installation count information;

controlling said first drive unit to record verification information for identifying said another recording medium in said recording and reproduction area as said install management information according to said install control program as said application program is installed; and

checking said verification information recorded in said recording and reproduction area when said application program is requested to be uninstalled so that said application program is not uninstalled from the recording medium of said second drive unit irrespective of said permitted-installation count information when it is determined that the recording medium of said second drive unit is not an installation-destination of said application program, and said application program is uninstalled from the recording medium of said second drive unit when it is determined that the recording medium of said second drive unit is an installation-destination of said application program.