Associating first and second watermarks with audio or video content

• US 9,292,663 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2014
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Levy, Kenneth L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Song, Hosuk
• Application Number:
  US14/313,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20140373164A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 726 26- 27, 726 30- 31, 713/176, 380/54, 380200-203, 382/100, 705 57- 59
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/109 by using specially-adapted hardware at the client
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0071 using multiple or alternating watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0064 for copy protection or copy management, e.g. CGMS, copy only once, one-time copy
• 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 20/00884 involving a watermark, i.e. a barely perceptible transformation of the original data which can nevertheless be recognised by an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91335 the copy protection signal being a watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to processing audio or video content. One claim recites a system comprising: a portable device comprising storage and an electronic logic processor, the electronic logic processor configured for analyzing first content stored in said storage to detect a first class of watermarking hidden therein, the first class of watermarking comprising a link between the first content and a user, the first content further comprising a second class of watermarking, the second class of watermarking providing an indication that the first content is protected, in which the second class of watermarking is more difficult to remove from content relative to the first class of watermarking; and a software module for interacting with content files, said software module including instructions to cause an electronic logic processor to control transfer of the first content file to said portable device based on detection and interpretation of the second class of watermarking. Other claims and combinations are provided as well.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing content representing audio or video in storage;

using an electronic logic processor;

i) embedding a first watermark in the content, the first watermark linking the content to a user; and

ii) embedding a second watermark in the content, the second watermark providing an indication that the content is protected, in which the second watermark is more difficult to remove from the content relative to the first watermark; and

distributing the content to the user after said embedding the first watermark in the content and said embedding the second watermark in the content.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the first watermark comprises a rights watermark.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the second watermark comprises a protect watermark.

4. A system comprising:

a portable device comprising storage and an electronic logic processor, the electronic logic processor configured for analyzing first content stored in said storage to detect a first class of watermarking hidden therein, the first class of watermarking comprising a link between the first content and a user, the first content further comprising a second class of watermarking, the second class of watermarking providing an indication that the first content is protected, in which the second class of watermarking is more difficult to remove from content relative to the first class of watermarking; and

a software module for interacting with content files, said software module including instructions to cause an electronic logic processor to control transfer of the first content to said portable device based on detection and interpretation of the second class of watermarking.

5. A system comprising:

a portable device comprising storage and means for analyzing first content stored in said storage to detect a first class of watermarking hidden therein, the first class of watermarking comprising a link between the first content and a user, said portable device further comprising means for detecting a second class of watermarking in the first content, the second class of watermarking providing an indication that the first content is protected, in which the second class of watermarking is more difficult to remove from content relative to the first class of watermarking; and

means for interacting with content files, including means for controlling transfer of the first content to said portable device based on detection and interpretation of the second class of watermarking.