Abstract: A distribution server distributes A/V content to a recipient according to terms determined from information stored in a database of prior unauthorized copying attributed to that recipient. The copy distributed to the recipient includes identifications of the content and recipient embedded in it by an ID embedder employing a steganographic or watermarking technique. A detection server detects embedded ID's in A/V content sampled from various distribution channels, and provides the ID information to the distribution server to update the database of prior unauthorized copying.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for controlled copying of an audio or video signal transmitted over a cable television or direct satellite broadcast system or the internet. Copyrighted (or other) audio or video material is protected from unwanted copying (recording) by the combination of a watermark embedded in the audio or video signal at the head end together with additional copy protection data inserted in the audio or video signal, either a ticket or a second watermark. Video line 21 in the vertical blanking interval for (NTSC TV) is used to hold the ticket (cryptographic counter). An audio or video watermark is embedded in the active portion of the audio or video signal. Only if the consumer is willing to pay a fee is the video signal with both the watermark and the ticket transmitted to his recording device which then matches the watermark to a mathematical function of the ticket, and only if they match is recording permitted.

Abstract: Techniques for modifying the characteristic signals of the Vertical Blanking Interval (VBI) are disclosed for the generation of an incorrect or unreliable vertical or frame rate signal, via particular characteristics and/or peculiarities of the signals in the VBI. The incorrect or unreliable vertical rate or frame signal is utilized to modify an anti-copy protection signal or a normal video signal.

Abstract: A computer network having a requesting node and a providing node permits data transfer therebetween when permitted by an authorizing node. Reports generated in response to authorizations and reports generated in response to data transfers are reconciled at a reconciliation node to improve the accuracy of payments collected and paid for use of the data. Such payments include copyright royalties for audio, video, and other works recorded in digital format.

Abstract: An enhancement is provided for a copy protection method that discourages copying (e.g., by video taping) of video signals. The enhancement adds negative amplitude pulses to the video signal at a location in the horizontal blanking interval “back porch” after the color burst. This enhances jitter when the copy protected signal is recorded on a VCR (video cassette recorder) and the recording is replayed, thereby making the recorded signal not suitable for viewing.

Abstract: A copy protected DVD disc and a method for producing and validating the DVD disc is provided. In an embodiment the method for protecting a DVD from being illegally copied includes producing a signature which includes introducing ambiguous symbols into an ECC block and partially disabling the error correction. A DVD encoder for use in producing the copy protected disc is also provided.

Abstract: A technique to prevent illicit copying of a copy-protected CD-ROM into a computer-readable storage drive is presented. In accordance with the present invention, when an authentic copy-protected CD-ROM is inserted into a CD drive and the content of the copy-protected CD-ROM is installed onto a hard disk drive that is linked to the CD drive, the Central Processor Unit (CPU) executes the installer instructions residing in the CD-ROM to create a license file in the hard disk drive. For security reasons, the content of the CD-ROM (e.g., the executable file of the application) is encrypted. When the content of the CD-ROM is copied into the hard disk drive, it remains encrypted. The license file essentially acts as a timer to monitor a predetermined time interval that has been programmed into the license file.

Abstract: A method for protecting data recorded on an original data storage medium against unauthorized copying includes receiving data encoded in accordance with an applicable recording standard, and altering a portion of the encoded data such that the altered data are identified as erroneous according to the standard. The data are recorded on the medium, together with ancillary data which are used by a processor in an intended application of the medium to operate upon the altered portion of the data such that the application runs in a manner substantially unaffected by the alteration of the data. Upon unauthorized copying of the data, however, the ancillary data are ineffective in correcting the altered portion of the encoded data, so that the alteration causes a substantially unrecoverable error in an unauthorized copy of the original medium.

Abstract: A computer network having a requesting node and a providing node permits data transfer therebetween when permitted by an authorizing node. Reports generated in response to authorizations and reports generated in response to data transfers are reconciled at a reconciliation node to improve the accuracy of payments collected and paid for use of the data. Such payments include copyright royalties for audio, video, and other works recorded in digital format.

Abstract: A modified Colorstripe™ copy protection process utilizes a basic anti-copy protection (ACP) signal that causes attenuation of a video signal, wherein, in one embodiment, the process modifies (lowers) the level of a front porch portion and adds an incorrect color signal (color burst) in the region of the sync tip. When an illegal copy is made, a pre-blanked end of line portion causes a TV set to trigger the color burst sample pulse ahead of time and cause the incorrect color signal in the sync tip region to be sampled. Thus, since the sync tip region has incorrect color phase or frequency, the resulting illegal copy will have enhanced color distortions. In other embodiments, other portions of the horizontal blanking interval are lowered in level and incorrect color bursts are added to a portion or portions of the back porch and/or a portion of the front porch.

Abstract: A high definition television video content management and/or copy protection method and apparatus are achieved by modifying portions of one or more channels of an HDTV (high definition television) signal. These modifications are generally in the blanking intervals but can extend into the overscanned portions. In one version, the signal modification defines tags or trigger bits for a content control system. This modification may follow the HDTV tri-level sync (synchronization) pulses for example, and it may occur in at least one of the HDTV video channels. In another version, portions of the tri-level sync pulse are modified to cause a reference sensing circuit such an AGC system (in a receiving device such as a video recorder) to produce an erroneous output. Optionally, a signal may be added or inserted following the modified tri-level sync pulses. In another version, tri-level pseudo sync pulses are added in blanking or overscanned intervals.

Abstract: A high definition television video content management and/or copy protection method and apparatus are achieved by modifying portions of one or more channels of an HDTV (high definition television) signal. These modifications are generally in the blanking intervals but can extend into the overscanned portions. In one version, the signal modification defines tags or trigger bits for a content control system. This modification may follow the HDTV tri-level sync (synchronization) pulses for example, and it may occur in at least one of the HDTV video channels. In another version, portions of the tri-level sync pulse are modified to cause a reference sensing circuit such an AGC system (in a receiving device such as a video recorder) to produce an erroneous output. Optionally, a signal may be added or inserted following the modified tri-level sync pulses. In another version, tri-level pseudo sync pulses are added in blanking or overscanned intervals.

Abstract: In the known color stripe process for preventing recording of video signals, the color burst present on each line of active video is modified so that any subsequent video tape recording of the video signal shows variations in the color fidelity that appear as undesirable bands or stripes of color error. This color stripe process is defeated first by determining the location of the video lines including the color stripe process, either by prior experimentation or by on-line detection. Then some or all of the lines including the modified color bursts are modified so as to render the overall video signal recordable. The modification is accomplished in a number of ways, including phase shifting the color stripe burst into the correct phase, replacing some of the color stripe bursts or a portion of particular color stripe bursts so that they are no longer effective, and mixing the color stripe burst with color stripe signals of the correct phase so as to eliminate most or all of the phase error present.

Abstract: A copy protection system and method enabling storage of copy protection information separately from protected content is disclosed. One embodiment includes a mechanism for playing a recording medium, the recording medium having stored thereon a digital content file and a copy protection information file, the mechanism producing a digital content signal from the digital content file and a copy protection signal from the copy protection file; a digital to analog converter operatively connected to the mechanism for converting the digital content signal to an analog signal; a copy protection detector connected to the mechanism for detecting a copy protection trigger present in the digital content signal; and a signal modifier connected to the copy protection detector for modifying the analog signal to include the copy protection signal in response to detection of the copy protection trigger.

Abstract: Enhancements to a video anticopying process that causes an abnormally low amplitude video signal to be recorded on a illegal copy. The enhancement in one version include a negative going waveform that appears to the television receiver or videotape recorder to be a sync signal, thereby causing an early horizontal or vertical retrace. In another version, selected horizontal sync pulses are narrowed, causing irregular vertical retraces. In another version, post-pseudo sync pulses that have a minimum level above the minimum level of sync pulses are added to enhance anti-copy effectiveness. The post pseudo-sync pulses may be amplitude modulated.

Abstract: A computer network having a requesting node and a providing node permits data transfer therebetween when permitted by an authorizing node. Reports generated in response to authorizations and reports generated in response to data transfers are reconciled at a reconciliation node to improve the accuracy of payments collected and paid for use of the data. Such payments include copyright royalties for audio, video, and other works recorded in digital format.

Abstract: A method for protecting data recorded on an original storage medium against unauthorized copying. The data are encoded in accordance with Standard 908 of the International Electrotechnical Commission. A portion of the encoded data is altered to introduce an error in a sub-code Q channel of the data, such that the altered data are inconsistent with Standard 908, but do not prevent playback of the data following recording thereof. The data, including the altered data, are recorded on the original storage medium, whereby an application which plays back the recorded data runs in a manner substantially unaffected by the alteration of the data, but a substantially unrecoverable error occurs in unauthorized copying of the original storage medium.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of copy protecting optical discs, such as CD-ROMs. Instead of encoding data onto the CD-ROMs in a manner which ensures balanced dc content, for copy protection the digital data is encoded and recorded onto the optical disc such that it is arranged to give some of the recorded digital data unbalanced dc content. Thus, for example, the DSV value of the encoded data may be changed rapidly in less than (100) frames to (FIG. 9). For an area of digital data on the optical disc in which the DSV has been caused to rise steeply (FIG. 10a), heavy distortions in audio arise (FIG. 10c) during an attempt to copy an audio track including the single segment of unbalanced dc content.

Abstract: A method for copy protection includes receiving data in a recording module representing content to be recorded on a recording medium, the data including an indication that the content is to be protected from unauthorized copying. Responsive to the indication, the recording module signals a protection module to initiate a protection protocol in synchronization with the recording module. The protection module generates control information, so as to prevent the unauthorized copying of the content that is to be protected, and conveys the control information to the recording module, in accordance with the protocol. The recording module combines the control information with the data representing the content in the recording module, for recording on the recording medium.

Abstract: An input profile is generated from an input audio file using a measurable attribute that was also used to generate reference profiles from reference audio files. The input profile is then subjected to a process that was also used to generate a reference profiles tree, which is structured as a sparse binary tree, from the reference profiles. As a result of the process, information of reference profiles having similar characteristics as the input profile, with respect to the measurable attribute, are retrieved from resulting nodes of the reference profiles tree. The input profile is then compared with this subset of the reference profiles, representing potential matches, to determine that either it matches one of the reference profiles, or that it is a spoof, or that it does not match any of the reference profiles.