Abstract: In a media protection system and method, an original media item is encrypted before it is distributed. At the point of sale (POS) or point of distribution, the consumer presents his personal smart token to the clerk who inserts it into a POS reader along with a companion digital identifier (CDI™). The POS reader extracts a digital key from the CDI™ and merges it with the player list in the consumer's smart token. The POS reader then destroys the CDI™ and returns the smart token to the consumer. The digital key for the media item is now stored on the consumer's personal smart token, merged with the player identifiers for the players possessed by the user. When the user returns home, he inserts the media item into his player along with his smart token, and the digital key is extracted and used to decrypt the encryption key for the material that is stored on the media item itself. Then, the player decrypts the media item as it is played.

Abstract: In a media protection system and method, an original media item is encrypted before it is distributed. A digital encryption key for the media item is stored on the consumer's personal smart token. To play the media item, the user inserts the media item into his player along with his smart token, and the digital encryption key is extracted by a hardware decryption module (HDM) in the player (or host device), and is used to determine that the decryption key is linked to the HDM. Once that determination is made, the HDM decrypts the media item as it is played. The HDM provides a USB or other standard interface between a plug connected to the player (or host device) and a socket which receives the smart token. The HDM comprises a decryption processor, a control processor, an internal memory, an external interface, and a memory element, such as a read-only memory (ROM). The HDM is implemented as a self-contained, tamperproof subsystem of the media protection system with which it is associated.

Abstract: In a media protection system and method, an original media item is encrypted before it is distributed. At the point of sale (POS) or point of distribution, the consumer presents his personal smart token to the clerk who inserts it into a POS reader along with a companion digital identifier (CDI™). The POS reader extracts a digital key from the CDI™ and merges it with the player list in the consumer's smart token. The POS reader then destroys the CDI™ and returns the smart token to the consumer. The digital key for the media item is now stored on the consumer's personal smart token, merged with the player identifiers for the players possessed by the user. When the user returns home, he inserts the media item into his player along with his smart token, and the digital key is extracted and used to decrypt the encryption key for the material that is stored on the media item itself. Then, the player decrypts the media item as it is played.