Abstract: The subject innovation relates to systems and/or methodologies for using randomly positioned electromagnetic scatterers deposited into a predetermined region of an optical storage medium (e.g., Blue Ray DVD, HD DVD, CD, etc.) as a distinct three dimensional (3D) hard-to-copy digital rights management feature. A scatterers' topology is scanned using a matrix of antennas that sense the scatterers' electromagnetic response as the optical disc revolves at near-constant angular speed. The response, f, called an RF fingerprint, is then concatenated with an arbitrary text, t, that defines the digital rights management information imposed by the disk publisher.

Abstract: An implementation of a technology is described herein that facilitates rights enforcement of digital goods using watermarks. More particularly, it is a fingerprinting technology for protecting digital goods by detecting collusion as a malicious attack and identifying the participating colluders. If a digital pirate breaks one client and enables this client to avoid watermark detection, all content (both marked/protected an unmarked/free) can be played as unmarked only on that particular client. However, to enable other clients to play content as unmarked, the digital pirate needs to collude the extracted detection keys from many clients in order to create content that can evade watermark detection on all clients. The described implementation significantly improves collusion resistance through a fingerprinting mechanism that can identify the members of a malicious coalition even when their numbers are several orders of magnitude greater than what conventional collusion-protection schemes can accomplish.

Abstract: Radio frequency certificates of authenticity (RFCOAs) are presented. In one implementation, a scattering agent is attached to an object to provide a reproducible radio frequency (RF) fingerprint that can be used to authenticate a tag or a seal for the object. In one implementation, the RF fingerprint is measured and digitized, combined with information associated with the object to which the RFCOA is attached, and stored in a radio frequency identification (RFID) system associated with the RFCOA. A scanner receives the fingerprint and the information and authenticates the information by comparing the fingerprint against a new fingerprint obtained from the object.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for use with optical data storage media and related devices.

Abstract: Described is a technology by which a deep query response comprising a large number of URLs is processed at a client-side recipient into a secondary set of search results. A client requests a deep query response (e.g., hundreds of URLs) related to a query, generally in conjunction with a traditional query request/response. As the traditional query response is output for inspection by the user, the client performs deep query processing on the deep query response by fetching files for the deep response URLs, and parsing those files for analyzing their content, e.g., to perform ranking and/or summarizing for a secondary output. Because more files and their content are evaluated and processed in client-side deep query processing, more relevantly ranked and/or summarized content is provided to the user, which may include improved advertising revenue. Queries also may be classified into a query type for use in deep query processing.

Abstract: A user working on a client computer is allowed to remotely login to a server over a computer network. A first secure connection is established between the client and the server. Communications with a trusted device which is in the user's control is established via a communication channel between the trusted device and the client, where this channel is not part of the network. A second secure connection is established between the trusted device and the server through the client, where this second secure connection is tunneled within the first secure connection. The user remotely logs into the server over the second secure connection using the trusted device.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed to enable utilization of randomly-occurring features of a label (whether embedded or naturally inherent) to provide counterfeit-resistant and/or tamper-resistant labels. More specifically, labels including randomly-occurring features are scanned to determine the labels' features. The information from the scan is utilized to provide identifying indicia which uniquely identifies each label and may be later verified against the label features that are present to determine whether the label is genuine. In a described implementation, the identifying indicia may be cryptographically signed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for compressing data, particularly for use in manufacturing and verifying certificates of authenticity (COA), are described herein. Data elements obtained from a COA are ordered based on an iterative selection process. First, one or more data ranges are defined. Having defined the ranges, a data element from within each of the ranges is selected. The selected data elements are then encoded. The encoding of each data element is based on a position of that data element within a range from which the data element was selected.

Abstract: Radio frequency certificates of authenticity (RFCOAs) and associated scanners are presented. In one implementation, an array of miniaturized antenna elements in an RFCOA scanner occupies an area smaller than a credit card yet obtains a unique electromagnetic fingerprint from an RFCOA associated with an item, such as the credit card. The antenna elements are miniaturized by a combination of both folding and meandering the antenna patch components. The electromagnetic fingerprint of an exemplary RFCOA embeddable in a credit card or other item is computationally infeasible to fake, and the RFCOA cannot be physically copied or counterfeited based only on possession of the electromagnetic fingerprint.

Abstract: Described herein is a meta-algorithm adaptable to different types of optimization problems and different computing platforms. A problem space is (i) browsed using a heuristic that computes objectives locally and (ii) while constructing a solution, key decisions are performed globally. A simple data structure—a probabilistic cache—is used to efficiently store intermediate sub-solutions. As an example, the meta-algorithm is applied to find an algorithm for solving the graph coloring problem.

Abstract: Multimedia playback technique embodiments are presented which facilitate the playback of an arbitrary media recording during a multi-party communication over a real-time multi-way communication system via a user's communication device. The recorded media can be interjected into a multi-party communication on a real time basis. This is generally accomplished by the media recording being inserted into a media stream being processed by the user's communication device as part of the multi-party communication. This can be done by either replacing a portion of the media stream with the media recording or mixing the media recording with a portion of the media stream. Once inserted, the media recording is transmitted as part of the media stream to a least one other party to the communication.

Abstract: The described systems and methods described are directed at encoding randomly distributed features in an object. Randomly distributed features in an authentication object are determined. Data representing the randomly distributed features is compressed and encoded with a signature. A label is created and includes the authentication object and the encoded data. The data may be compressed by determining a probability density function associated with the authentication object. Vectors associated with the randomly distributed attributes are determined based, at least in part, on the probability density function. The vectors are encoded using an arithmetic coding algorithm.

Abstract: One or more instructions of software being installed on a computing device are modified to embed a digital signature in the installed software. The installed software is stored on the computing device so that it can be executed on the computing device in a trusted mode if the signature is verified, and so that it can also be executed on the computing device without additional modification in a public mode where the signature is not verified.

Abstract: The subject matter includes systems, engines, methods, and schemata for embedding spread-spectrum fingerprints in multimedia content: a first fingerprint to identify a recipient of the multimedia content and a second fingerprint at a location in the first fingerprint that represents a subset of a much larger group of recipients. By locating the second fingerprint, the search for a media pirate is immediately narrowed down to the subset, thus immensely speeding up pirate identification. In one implementation, chips of the second fingerprint can be made small and embedded sparsely, making alteration difficult. Systems, engines, methods, and schemata for synchronizing a pirated copy with original multimedia content to facilitate fingerprint recovery are also described.

Abstract: An implementation of a technology is described herein that facilitates rights enforcement of digital goods using watermarks. More particularly, it is a fingerprinting technology for protecting digital goods by detecting collusion as a malicious attack and identifying the participating colluders. If a digital pirate breaks one client and enables this client to avoid watermark detection, all content (both marked/protected an unmarked/free) can be played as unmarked only on that particular client. However, to enable other clients to play content as unmarked, the digital pirate needs to collude the extracted detection keys from many clients in order to create content that can evade watermark detection on all clients. The described implementation significantly improves collusion resistance through a fingerprinting mechanism that can identify the members of a malicious coalition even when their numbers are several orders of magnitude greater than what conventional collusion-protection schemes can accomplish.

Abstract: Systems and methods to perform efficient searching for web content using a search engine are provided. In an illustrative implementation, a computing environment comprises a search engine computing application having an essential pages module operative to execute one or more selected selection algorithms to select content from a cooperating data store. In an illustrative operation, the exemplary search engine executes on a received search query to generate search results. Operatively, the retrieved results can be generated based upon their joint coverage of the submitted search query by deploying a selected sequential forward floating selection (SFFS) algorithm executing on the essential pages module. In the illustrative operation, the SFFS algorithm can operate to iteratively add one and delete one element from the set to improve a coverage score until no further improvement can be attained. The resultant processed search results can be considered essential pages.

Abstract: Described herein is a watermarking technology for protecting digital signals, such as a music clip. In another described implementation, a watermarking system employs a permutation technique to hide a watermark. The order in which data is imposed or encoded is rearranged may be based upon a permutation table. The same table may be used to reverse permute the data at the detector.

Abstract: Systems and methods that account for payment of sales commission received by the merchant. An audit component simulates user behavior in purchasing items from the merchant in an advertising system, which encompasses interaction among a merchant (who advertise on websites/blogs); a trusted party (who monitors activities of the merchant), an advertisement publisher, and an advertisement consumer (e.g., buyer of the merchandise offered by the merchant).

Abstract: The claimed subject matter relates to architectures and/or mechanisms that can facilitate issuing, embedding and verification of an optical DNA (o-DNA) signature. A first mechanism is provided for obtaining a set of manufacturing errors inherent in an optical media instance. These errors can be non-deterministic and can be encoded into the o-DNA that can be cryptographically signed with a private key, and then embedded into the source optical media instance. A second mechanism is provided that can decrypt the o-DNA with a public key and compare the authenticated errors to the observed errors to ascertain whether the optical media instance is authentic as opposed to a forgery or counterfeit.

Abstract: Seller's reputation quantification technique embodiments are presented that quantify in monetary terms a risk of dissatisfaction to a potential buyer of a product or service from a seller in an on-line consumer market. Generally, this involves computing the monetary sales limit for the seller. This monetary sales limit represents an amount, which if a sum of the current prices of all the products and services currently offered by the seller is equal to or less than the amount, there would not be a significant risk to the buyer of being dissatisfied with the product or service. Given this, a risk of a potential buyer's dissatisfaction with a product or service purchased from the seller in view of a price the buyer wants to pay is assessed. The assessed risk is then provided to the potential buyer in the form of one or more risk indicators.