Abstract: A recording system that enables single authorized recordings of protected broadcasts be made. Subsequent unauthorized copies are prohibited by encoding a signal that causes the broadcast to be obscured during playback of the unauthorized copies. A broadcast is encoded to indicate that a single copy is authorized. If a copy is authorized, a control signal is input to the recording device wherein the signal is conditioned for recording and prior to placement of the conditioned signal on the recording medium the copy protect signal is encoded. Thus, if a second copy (which is unauthorized) is made, the copy protect signal will cause the recorded second copy to be obscured making the copy of little value to the unauthorized copier.