Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for protecting against copying of content recorded on optical recording media are provided. An area of an optical recording medium is designated to be ignored by a standards-compliant optical media player reproducing content recorded on the optical recording medium. Unreadable data is written to the designated area which is ignored by the standard-compliant optical media player. When an optical medium drive attempts to read the unreadable data in order to perform a one-to-one copy process on data recorded on the recording medium, the optical medium drive is unable to complete the one-to-one copy process.

Abstract: Light-readable information-recording media are fabricated according to a method wherein the back of a production stamper is laser-scribed, diamond-scribed, etched, or marked by other means to produce an image. This production stamper is then used to form a substantially transparent substrate having information recorded on it by means of pits and lands. During the formation of the substrate, the image is transferred from the back of the stamper to the surface of the substrate. The resulting watermark may be visible under normal light conditions. Information-recording media bearing indelible watermarks according to the present invention are also disclosed.