METHOD FOR MINIMIZING PIRATING AND/OR UNAUTHORIZED COPYING AND/OR UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS OF/TO DATA ON/FROM DATA MEDIA INCLUDING COMPACT DISCS AND DIGITAL VERSATILE DISCS, AND SYSTEM AND DATA MEDIA FOR SAME

• US 6,684,199 B1
• Filed: 05/20/1999
• Issued: 01/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Recording Industry Association of America
• Original Assignee: Recording Industry Association of America
• Inventors: Stebbings, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Worjloh, Jalatee
• Application Number:
  US09/315,012
• Time in Patent Office: 1,713 Days
• Field of Search: 705/57, 705/58, 705/59, 713/170, 713/176, 380/203, 380/241
• US Class Current: 705/57
• 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: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/04 Arrangements for preventing, inhibiting, or warning against double recording on the same blank or against other recording or reproducing malfunctions
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/12 by sensing distinguishing features of or on records, e.g. diameter end mark
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/122 involving the detection of an identification or authentication mark record carriers indicating unauthorised or prior use G11B23/28
• 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 20/00094 involving measures which result in a restriction to authorised record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00123 the record carrier being identified by recognising some of its unique characteristics, e.g. a unique defect pattern serving as a physical signature of the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00152 involving a password
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00166 involving measures which result in a restriction to authorised contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier, e.g. music or software
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00282 the key being stored in the content area, e.g. program area, data area or user area key stored in a management area G11B20/00297
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00289 wherein the key is stored as a watermark
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00384 the key being derived from a physical signature of the record carrier, e.g. unique feature set
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00405 the key being stored by varying characteristics of the recording track, e.g. by altering the track pitch or by modulating the wobble track
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00449 content scrambling system [CSS]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00536 wherein encrypted content data is subjected to a further, iterated encryption, e.g. interwoven encryption
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00557 wherein further management data is encrypted, e.g. sector headers, TOC or the lead-in or lead-out areas
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00579 said format change concerning the data encoding, e.g., modulation schemes violating run-length constraints, causing excessive DC content, or involving uncommon codewords or sync patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00586 said format change concerning the physical format of the recording medium
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00659 : involving a control step which is implemented as an executable file stored on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00927 : wherein said defects or errors are generated on purpose, e.g. intended scratches
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1426 : conversion to or from block codes or representations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1809 : by interleaving
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91342 : the copy protection signal being an authentication signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91357 : by modifying the video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 : involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 : for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/945 : for signals recorded by pulse code modulation

Abstract

A method authenticates at least one of a media and data stored on the media in order to prevent at least one of piracy, unauthorized access and unauthorized copying of the data stored on the media. At least one predetermined error is introduced with the data resulting in mixed data. The mixed data is optionally stored on the media. The at least one predetermined error includes at least one authentication key or component thereof, for authenticating whether the media and/or data is authorized. The method includes the following sequential, non-sequential and/or sequence independent steps: reading the mixed data from the media, detecting the at least one predetermined error from the mixed data, and comparing the at least one predetermined error to the at least one authentication key or component thereof. The method also includes the steps of authenticating the media and/or the data in the mixed data responsive to the comparing, removing the at least one predetermined error from the mixed data resulting in substantially the data, and outputting the data as at least one of audio, video, audio data, video data and digital data substantially free of the at least one predetermined error.

Claims

1. A method for authenticating at least one of a media and data stored on said media in order to prevent at least one of piracy, unauthorized access and unauthorized copying of the data stored on said media, wherein predetermined errors are introduced with the data into mixed data and storing the mixed data on said media, the predetermined errors comprising at least one authentication key or component thereof, for authenticating whether the at least one of said media and data is authorized, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) reading the mixed data from said media;

(b) detecting the predetermined errors from the mixed data;

(c) comparing the predetermined errors to the at least one authentication key or component thereof;

(d) authenticating the at least one of the media and the data in the mixed data responsive to the comparing step;

(e) removing the predetermined errors from the mixed data via a decoding operation resulting in substantially the data; and

(f) outputting the data as at least one of audio, video, audio data, video data and digital data substantially free of the predetermined errors.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined errors comprise on-off binary codes representing ones and zeros to represent a predetermined pattern usable as the at least one authentication key or component thereof.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said outputting step (f) further includes converting the data to a stereo analog signal without transferring, in the data, the predetermined errors used as the at least one authentication key or component thereof.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said method further includes the step of embedding both said predetermined errors and said data onto a data disc on at least one of a per track basis and on an interval basis throughout the disc, such that the authentication is performed at least for at least one of each track to be played, throughout playback and recording.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said authenticating step further includes the step of authenticating using a different authentication key for each track.

6. A method according to claim 1, further including the step of using a process defined in at least one of the configuring, intentionally embedding, introducing and outputting steps, as a multi-level authentication system containing at least two different authentication keys, each of which successively must be authenticated before said corrected data is finally output.

7. A method according to claim 1, further including the step of at least one of performing said method over a plurality of inter-connected computer networks comprising at least one of a local network, a global network, and the Internet.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said authenticating step further comprises authenticating the at least one of the media and the data, wherein the media is at least one of read from and recorded to at least one of a disc player, a disc recorder, a computer, a work station and a network of computers.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said reading step (a) further comprises the step of at least one of decoding and decrypting the mixed data from said media.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said removing step (e) further comprises decoding said predetermined errors to result in data substantially free of the predetermined errors.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said removing step (e) further comprises correcting said predetermined errors to result in data substantially free of the predetermined errors.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said removing step (e) further comprises a Reed-Solomon decoding procedure.

10. A method for authenticating at least one of a media and data stored on said media in order to prevent at least one of piracy, unauthorized access and unauthorized copying of the data stored on said media, wherein at least one predetermined error is introduced with the data into mixed data and storing the mixed data on said media, the at least one predetermined error comprising at least one authentication key or component thereof, for authenticating whether the at least one of said media and data is authorized;

said method comprising the steps of;

(a) reading the mixed data from said media;

(b) detecting the at least one predetermined error from the mixed data;

(c) comparing the at least one predetermined error to the at least one authentication key or component thereof;

(d) authenticating the at least one of the media and the data in the mixed data responsive to the comparing step;

(e) removing the at least one predetermined error from the mixed data resulting in substantially the data; and

(f) outputting the data as at least one of audio, video, audio data, video data and digital data substantially free of the at least one predetermined error.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein said removing step (e) further comprises decoding said predetermined errors to result in data substantially free of the predetermined errors.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein said removing step (e) further comprises correcting said predetermined errors to result in data substantially free of the predetermined errors.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein said removing step (e) further comprises a Reed-Solomon decoding procedure.

11. In a method for authenticating at least one of a media and data stored on said media in order to prevent at least one of piracy, unauthorized access and unauthorized copying of the data stored on said media, wherein at least one predetermined error is introduced with the data into mixed data and storing the mixed data on said media, the at least one predetermined error comprising at least one authentication key or component thereof, for authenticating whether the at least one of said media and data is authorized, a data player comprising a data processor performing the steps of:

(a) reading the mixed data from said media;

(b) detecting the at least one predetermined error from the mixed data;

(c) comparing the at least one predetermined error to the at least one authentication key or component thereof;

(d) authenticating the at least one of the media and the data in the mixed data responsive to the comparing step;

(e) removing the at least one predetermined error from the mixed data resulting in substantially the data; and

(f) outputting the data as at least one of audio, video, audio data, video data and digital data substantially free of the at least one predetermined error.

19. The data player of claim 11, wherein said removing step (e) further comprises decoding said predetermined errors to result in data substantially free of the predetermined errors.

20. The data player of claim 11, wherein said removing step (e) further comprises correcting said predetermined errors to result in data substantially free of the predetermined errors.

21. The data player of claim 11, wherein said removing step (e) further comprises a Reed-Solomon decoding procedure.

12. A data message signal embodied in a processor readable memory and useable for authenticating data stored on at least one media to prevent at least one of piracy, unauthorized access and unauthorized copying of the data stored on said media, said data message signal comprising at least one predetermined error introduced in the data message signal comprising a mixed data message, the at least one predetermined error comprising at least one authentication key or component thereof, used in authenticating whether the data message signal is authorized, said at least one predetermined error being sufficiently minimal such that the at least one predetermined error is capable of being removed from the data message signal without substantially altering an audible component thereof, and said data message signal being transmitted substantially free of the at least one predetermined error to prevent a destination processor receiving the audible component of the data message signal from receiving the at least one authentication key or component thereof, and whereby the transmitted data message signal is used in preventing unauthorized access to the data by preventing the destination processor from authenticating whether the audible component of the data message signal is authorized.

22. The data message of claim 12, wherein said at least one predetermined error may be removed before playback by decoding.

23. The data message signal of claim 12, wherein said at least one predetermined error may be removed before playback by error correction.

24. A data message signal stored on a computer-readable medium and accessible by a destination processor for authenticating data stored on said computer-readable medium in order to prevent at least one of piracy, unauthorized access, and unauthorized copying of the data stored on said computer-readable medium, said data message signal comprising:

an audible component;

at least one predetermined error introduced in the data message signal; and

at least one authentication key or component thereof encoded in said at least one predetermined error for authenticating whether the data message signal is authorized;

said predetermined errors being sufficiently minimal that said at least one predetermined error is capable of being removed therefrom without substantially altering said audible component of the data message signal;

said audible component of the data message signal being transmitted substantially free of the at least one predetermined error and said at least one authentication key or component thereof;

whereby the transmitted data message signal is used in preventing unauthorized access to the data by preventing the destination processor from authenticating whether the audible component of the data message signal is authorized.