Abstract: A method of identifying material comprises the step of inserting (882) an identifying code (886) into a signal as a watermark, and deriving (884) a signature from the material. The code and signature are stored in a database (894). The watermarked signal may be distributed and/or transmitted through a network (888). The signal may be processed in the network. A monitor (890) derives from the received signal, the signature and the code. They are compared (892) with the stored signature and code to check the provenance of the material.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of recording video and/or audio material on a recording medium, the method including an identifier for identifying a piece of video and/or audio material recorded on the recording medium, an activity indicator representative of relative activity within a content of the video and/or audio material, and metadata in accordance with the activity indicator.

Abstract: A media handling system in which candidate video sequences are displayed on a display screen in schematic form for selection by a user comprises means for detecting human faces in the candidate video sequences; a display screen for displaying representations of the candidate video sequences for selection by a user, each representation including one or more images representing human faces derived from the respective video sequences; and a user control for defining a set of one or more of the video sequences.

Abstract: A media data security system for rendering a secure media data file, having associated authentication data, for output comprises a data preparation unit operable with respect to a version of the media data file, having user controls for generating a list of desired render operations to be applied to the media data file; and a secure data reproducer arranged to receive the list of desired render operations from the data preparation unit and to render the secure media data file for output on the basis of the list of render operations, the secure data reproducer comprising: a data authenticator for detecting the authenticity of the secure media data file using the authentication data; and a data reproducer operable, if the data authenticator detects that the input data is authentic, to perform the list of desired render operations with respect to the secure media data file.