Record Carrier with Copy Protection Means

• US 20080291801A1
• Filed: 10/06/2006
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Staring, Antonius Adriaan Maria, Talstra, Johan Cornelis
• Application Number:
  US12/095,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20080291801A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 369/53.21
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/10 Usage protection of distributed data files
• 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 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00268 said barcode being recorded in a burst cutting area [BCA]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00326 the key being embossed on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00376 the key being stored by varying the pit format, e.g. depth, width, length or edge positions
• 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 20/00528 wherein each title is encrypted with a separate encryption key for each title, e.g. title key for movie, song or data file
• 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 20/00579 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 20/00594 wherein the shape of recording marks is altered, e.g. the depth, width, or length of pits
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00601 wherein properties of tracks are altered, e.g., by changing the wobble pattern or the track pitch, or by adding interruptions or eccentricity
• 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

In summary, ROM marks (such as wobbles, lateral deviations in the spiral with lands and pits in an optical disc) are used on optical media to ensure consumer-grade copying devices cannot duplicate original media. An additional level of security is that the detection of the side channel information requires knowledge of a certain secret, which must be hidden well in authorized players. If the secret leaks, a professional pirate will be able to detect the ROM mark and duplicate the original medium with the side channel information intact. The present invention proposes that instead of a single ROM mark, many ROM marks are applied to a disc. Further, devices are divided into groups, and each group has the capability to only detect one mark from the group. This way, if a secret is obtained from a device, the disc can be duplicated, but only a limited number of devices will be able to use this disc. Creating a disc that can be played in any device requires the hacking of one device from every group.

Claims

1. System comprising a record carrier (10) and a plurality of player apparatuses (P1, P2, . . . , Pn) for accessing the record carrier, the record carrier comprising content material (11) and bearing a set of ROM marks (M1, M2, . . . , Mn), each of the set of ROM marks being detectable by means of a respective corresponding detector out of a set of corresponding detectors (D1, D2, . . . , Dn), any player (P) out of the plurality of player apparatuses having a detector (D) out the set of corresponding detectors, the player being designed for allowing access to the content material upon detection of the ROM mark (M) to which the detector (D) present in the player (P) respectively corresponds.

2. System as claimed in claim 1, wherein the set of ROM marks (M1, M2, . . . , Mn) rely on a variation of a same physical parameter.

3. System as claimed in claim 2, and the corresponding detectors (D1, D2, . . . , Dn) are formed as instances of a common detection unit, enabled, according to which of the corresponding detectors is to be implemented, to detect only the corresponding ROM mark (M).

4. System as claimed in claim 3, wherein the common detection unit has an input to receive enabling information, thereby being enabled to detect the corresponding ROM mark (M).

5. System as claimed in claim 1, wherein the content material (11) is encrypted and the player apparatus (P) comprises a decryption unit (20) for decrypting the content material based upon a content decryption key (23).

6. System as claimed in claim 5, wherein the content decryption key (23) is extractable from the ROM mark (M).

7. System as claimed in claim 5, wherein the content decryption key (23) is determinable upon auxiliary information (24) present in the record carrier (10).

8. System as claimed in claim 2, wherein the apparatuses comprise a content decryption key reconstruction unit (21) for determining the content decryption key (23) upon a combination of information extractable from the ROM mark (M) and auxiliary information (24) present in the record carrier (10).

9. System as claimed in claim 7, wherein the record carrier (10) further comprises a digital signature of the auxiliary information (24) and/or of the content material (11).

10. Record carrier (10) comprising content material (11) and bearing a set of ROM marks (M1, M2, . . . , Mn), each of the set of ROM marks being detectable by means of a corresponding detector (D1, D2, . . . , Dn).

11. Record carrier (10) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the set of ROM marks (M1, M2, . . . , Mn) rely on a variation of a same physical parameter.

12. Player apparatus (P) for accessing a record carrier (10) as claimed in claim 11, the player comprising a detector (D) for detecting a respective corresponding ROM mark (M) among the set of ROM marks (M1, M2, . . . , Mn), the detector being formed as a detection unit, enabled to detect only the ROM mark (M) to which it respectively corresponds.