Abstract: A system and method are provided wherein digital data representing content and associated license rights may copied to a storage medium, such as a removable storage medium, whereby the serial number of the copied-to storage medium is integrated into the licensing scheme utilized to secure the digital content. As a result, the digital content is pre-authenticated and bound to the copied-to storage medium, obviating the need to access a network or other location for access to the protected content.

Abstract: A process for identifying and designating a radially-oriented defect pattern on a data-storage medium comprises determining an angular position of one or more pre-identified defective data sectors on the data-storage medium by counting a number of servo sectors on the data-storage medium that pass a predetermined reference point. The process also comprises defining a radially-oriented pattern of the pre-identified defective data sectors based on a predetermined relationship between: a number of the pre-identified defective data sectors having substantially identical angular positions; and radial spacing between the pre-identified defective data sectors having substantially identical angular positions. The process further comprises writing defect-identification information to data sectors having locations that substantially coincide with the radially-oriented pattern of the pre-identified defective data sectors.

Abstract: A defect map for a data-storage medium is generated without the use of a hard index on the medium. The servo sectors normally written to the medium during formatting operations are utilized to identify the angular positions of defective data sectors. The track-location data typically stored in each data sector is used to identify the radial positions of defective sectors. This positional information is processed by a set of computer-executable instructions that generate a graphical representation of the data-storage medium. Symbols are placed on the graphical representation in positions corresponding to the locations on the medium at which defective data sectors are identified.

Abstract: A system and method are provided wherein digital data representing content and associated license rights may copied to a storage medium, such as a removable storage medium, whereby the serial number of the copied-to storage medium is integrated into the licensing scheme utilized to secure the digital content. As a result, the digital content is pre-authenticated and bound to the copied-to storage medium, obviating the need to access a network or other location for access to the protected content.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting defects on a surface of a recording medium in a magnetic disk apparatus. An idling state of the magnetic disk apparatus is detected and a determination is made of the duration that the recording medium has been in use. The presence/absence of defects on the surface of the recording medium is then sequentially detected, responsive to the duration and the idling state, beginning at a start location of the recording medium. Data located at a detected defect is reallocated to a predetermined storage area, and the detected defect is mapped in a defect location map.