Copy protection control system

• US 6,591,365 B1
• Filed: 01/06/2000
• Issued: 07/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Entertainment Company LP (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Entertainment Company LP (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cookson, Christopher J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr., Gilberto
• Application Number:
  US09/478,713
• Time in Patent Office: 1,279 Days
• Field of Search: 705/57, 705/58, 713/176, 382/100, 382/250, 382/232, 380/54, 380/269
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00007 Time or data compression or expansion audio compression based on psychoacoustics G10L19/00; data processing for reproducing audio data at different playback speeds G10L21/04; video compression H04N19/00; data compression per se H03M7/30
• 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 20/00891 embedded in audio data

Abstract

A system for protecting against use of pirated music. Two watermarks are inserted into the music to be protected by the music publisher. One watermark is robust—it will not be destroyed by compression. The other watermark is weak—it is designed to be destroyed by compression. The robust mark tells a player that the music is protected, i.e., that it is not authorized to be delivered in compressed form over an insecure channel. If the music is found to have been compressed and it was delivered over an insecure channel, then its play or other processing can be restricted.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating the detection of pirated music by inserting robust and weak watermarks in music that is to be protected against piracy, the robust watermark withstanding compression and the weak watermark being such that it will be destroyed if the music is compressed, and examining the music to detect which of the watermarks are present in order to determine the allowed use of the music.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the robust watermark represents the permissible use to be made of the music in which it is contained.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein, if the music is received in the form of a digital file intended for storage on a computer or a portable player device, then the music file is examined for the presence of said robust and weak watermarks in order to determine what use restrictions if any are applicable to the file.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3 wherein in the absence of a robust watermark it is determined that there are no use restrictions applicable to the file.

5. A method in accordance with claim 4 wherein in the presence of a robust watermark and the absence of said weak watermark it may be determined that there are use restrictions applicable to the file.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5 wherein if said digital file is received over a secure channel, then regardless of which watermarks are present it is determined that there are no use restrictions applicable to the file.

7. A method in accordance with any of claims 3-6 wherein the determination of use restrictions that are applicable to said file is made independent of whether said file is received in compressed or uncompressed form.

8. A method in accordance with any of claims 3-6 wherein the determination of use restrictions that are applicable to said file is made independent of whether said file is received in analog or digital form.

9. A method for facilitating the detection of pirated music by inserting watermark information in music that is to be protected against piracy, the watermark information being such that it withstands compression to the extent that it remains detectable but is changed in a manner that remnants thereof are recognizable if the music is compressed, and examining the music to detect the extent to which the watermark information is present in order to determine the allowed use of the music, wherein in the presence of any remnants of said watermark information it may be determined that there are use restrictions applicable to the file, and if said digital file is received over a secure channel, then regardless of whether remnants of said watermark information are present it is determined that there are no use restrictions applicable to the file.

10. A method for restricting the processing of a received music file comprising the steps of examining the received music file for robust and weak watermarks that may have been inserted therein, the robust watermark withstanding compression and the weak watermark being such that it will be destroyed if the music containing it is compressed, and restricting processing of the received music file if the robust watermark is present and the weak watermark is not.

11. A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein the robust watermark represents the permissible use to be made of the music in which it is contained.

12. A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein, if the music is received in the form of a digital file intended for storage on a computer or a portable player device, then the music file is examined for the presence of said robust and weak watermarks in order to determine what use restrictions if any are applicable to the file.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12 wherein in the absence of a robust watermark it is determined that there are no use restrictions applicable to the file.

14. A method in accordance with claim 13 wherein if said digital file is received over a secure channel, then regardless of which watermarks are present it is determined that there are no use restrictions applicable to the file.

15. A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein if said digital file is received over a secure channel, then regardless of which watermarks are present it is determined that there are no use restrictions applicable to the file.

16. A method in accordance with any of claims 10-15 wherein a determination of use restrictions that are applicable to said file is made independent of whether said file is received in compressed or uncompressed form.

17. A method in accordance with any of claims 10-15 wherein a determination of use restrictions that are applicable to said file is made independent of whether said file is received in analog or digital form.

18. A method for restricting the processing of received music comprising the steps of examining the received music for a possible remnant watermark indicating that the music is to be protected against piracy, the original watermark in the music being such that it is altered by compression of the music in a manner that leaves a remnant of it detectable, and restricting processing of the received music if the remnant watermark is found, wherein if the music is received over a secure channel in the form of a digital file, then regardless of whether any remnant watermark is present it is determined that there are no use restrictions applicable to the file.

19. A player that restricts the processing of a received music file comprising a first module that examines the received music file for robust and weak watermarks that may have been inserted therein, the robust watermark withstanding compression and the weak watermark being such that it will be destroyed if the music containing it is compressed, and a second module that restricts processing of the received music file if the robust watermark is present and the weak watermark is not.

20. A player in accordance with claim 19 wherein the robust watermark represents the permissible use to be made of the music in which it is contained, and further including a third module that controls usage of the music file in accordance with said robust watermark.

21. A player in accordance with claim 20 wherein in the absence of a robust watermark it is determined that there are no use restrictions applicable to the file.

22. A player in accordance with claim 20 wherein if said music file is received over a secure channel, then regardless of which watermarks are present it is determined that there are no use restrictions applicable to the file.

23. A player in accordance with any of claims 20-22 wherein a determination of use restrictions that are applicable to said file is made independent of whether said file is received in compressed or uncompressed form.

24. A player in accordance with any of claims 20-22 wherein a determination of use restrictions that are applicable to said file is made independent of whether said file is received in analog or digital form.

25. A player that restricts the processing of received music comprising a module that examines the received music for a possible remnant watermark indicating that the music is to be protected against piracy, the original watermark in the music being such that it is altered by compression of the music in a manner that leaves a remnant of it detectable, and a module that restricts processing of the received music if the remnant watermark is found, wherein the remnant watermark represents the permissible use to be made of the received music in which it is contained, in the absence of said remnant watermark it is determined that there are no use restrictions applicable to the received music, and if the music is received over a secure channel in the form of a digital file, then regardless of whether said remnant watermark is present it is determined that there are no use restrictions applicable to the file.