Method and apparatus for ensuring the copy protection of digital data

• US 7,340,778 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2002
• Issued: 03/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Solutions Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Macrovision Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Brown, Stephen Nigel
• Primary Examiner(s): REVAK, CHRISTOPHER A
• Application Number:
  US10/202,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20040019797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,050 Days
• Field of Search: 380203-208, 380/210, 380/236, 380/238, 726/26, 713/193
• US Class Current: 726/32
• 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 20/00876 wherein physical copy protection means are attached to the medium, e.g. holograms, sensors, or additional semiconductor circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00927 wherein said defects or errors are generated on purpose, e.g. intended scratches

Abstract

When digital data is to be copy protected at a processing station, for example, prior to its encoding and recording onto an optical disc, it is necessary to control a compliant encoder to utilise copy protection files to perform the copy protection routine. To ensure that the digital data is reliably copy protected, predetermined noise signals are incorporated into the digital data and the processing steps which add the copy protection are additionally caused to remove the noise signals. By this means, if the digital data is not copy protected, the noise signals remain. This enables non-copy protected digital data to be readily identified and ensures that it is effectively unusable to a consumer.

Claims

1. A method of ensuring data is copy protected, the method comprising:

receiving input data at a processing station;

modifying a copy protection process to enable the removal of predetermined noise signals comprising erroneous signals added into the input data at pre-selected locations, upon detecting that the input data include the predetermined noise signals; and

applying the modified copy protection process to the input data thereby both removing the predetermined noise signals, upon detecting that the input data include the predetermined noise signals, and copy protecting the input data.

2. The method of claim 1, further including encoding the input data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the input data is digital data which is then encoded at the processing station.

4. The method claim 2, wherein the input data is in analog form, which is then converted into digital data and encoded.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein processed data output from the processing station is to be recorded onto an optical disc.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising reading or playing processed data output from the processing station to check that the predetermined noise signals have been removed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined noise signals have been incorporated in the input data by a publisher or compiler, the input data with the added predetermined noise signals being delivered subsequently to the processing station.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the input data with the said predetermined noise signals are delivered to the processing station recorded on an optical disc, on a tape, or on any other data carrier.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein processed data output from the processing station is to be recorded onto an optical disc.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising reading or playing processed data output from the processing station to check that the predetermined noise signals have been removed.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding the predetermined noise signals to the input data at the processing station upon detecting that the received input data does not include the predetermined noise signals.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein processed output from the processing station is to be recorded onto an optical disc.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising reading or playing processed data output from the processing station to check that the predetermined noise signals have been removed.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing to the processing station identification of the locations of the predetermined noise signals, and removing or restoring the data at each identified location.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined noise signals comprise erroneous values which are added into the input data in the digital domain at pre-selected locations.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising detecting the predetermined noise signals by detecting erroneous values in the digital domain of the input data and identifying the locations at which the detected noise occurred, and removing or restoring the data at each identified location.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising reading or playing the processed digital data output from the processing station to check that the predetermined noise signals have been removed.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the predetermined noise signals have been incorporated in the input data by a publisher or compiler, the input data with the added predetermined noise being delivered subsequently to the processing station.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the input data with the said predetermined noise signals are delivered to the processing station recorded on an optical disc, on a tape, or on any other data carrier.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined noise signals comprise erroneous impulses which are superimposed onto the input data in the analog domain at pre-selected locations.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising detecting the predetermined noise signals by detecting impulses in the analog domain of the input data and identifying the locations at which the detected noise occurred, and removing or restoring the data at, each identified location.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising reading or playing processed data output from the processing station to check that the predetermined noise signals have been removed.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the predetermined noise signals have been incorporated in the input data by a publisher or compiler, the input data with the added predetermined noise signals being delivered subsequently to the processing station.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the input data with the said predetermined noise signals are delivered to the processing station recorded on an optical disc, on a tape, or on any other data carrier.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined noise signals are arranged to carry information.

26. Apparatus for copy protecting input data comprising a processing station arranged to receive input data, the input data including predetermined noise signals comprising erroneous signals added into the input data at pre-selected locations, said processing station including a copy protection process, a preparatory circuit to modify the copy protection process to enable the removal of the predetermined noise signals, and an encoder circuit responsive to the preparatory circuit, wherein the encoder circuit encodes the input data to produce a processed digital data output which is copy protected, wherein the modified copy protection process causes the encoder circuit to remove the predetermined noise signals from the processed digital data output.

27. Apparatus for copy protecting input data comprising a processing station arranged to receive input data and to output processed digital data, said processing station by including a noise generator which adds predetermined noise signals comprising erroneous signals added into the input data at pre-selected locations, a copy protection process, a preparatory circuit to modify the copy protection process to enable the removal of the predetermined noise signals, and an encoder circuit responsive to the preparatory circuit, wherein the encoder circuit encodes the input data to produce processed digital data which is copy protected, wherein the modified copy protection process causes the encoder circuit to remove the predetermined noise signals from the processed digital data output.

28. A data carrier carrying encoded digital data for recording on an optical master disc, the digital data having been processed from input data, the input data including predetermined noise signals comprising erroneous signals added into the input data at pre-selected locations, the digital data having been processed by modifying a copy protection process to enable the removal of the predetermined noise signals, and applying the modified copy protection process to the input data thereby both removing the predetermined noise signals and copy protecting the input data.

29. The data carrier of claim 28, wherein the data carrier is an optical disc.