Abstract: Disclosed are methods, systems and articles for tracing and disabling one or more unauthorized distributors of content originally transmitted by a distribution center. In some embodiments, a method includes receiving rebroadcast transmissions of a data segment previously transmitted by the distribution center, the received segment including embedded information associated with a subset of recipients that includes at least one of the unauthorized distributors, and identifying the subset based on the embedded information. The method further includes assigning recipients in the identified subset into two or more new subsets such that the at least one unauthorized distributor is assigned to one of the two or more new subsets, and coding a subsequent data segment to be transmitted with additional embedded information associated with the two or more new subsets. The above operations may be repeated until the at least unauthorized distributor is identified.

Abstract: A method for detecting at least one traitor computer system among a plurality of receiver computer systems including: assigning a version of protected content to each of the plurality of receiver computer systems that are currently identified as innocent by a content protection system that monitors distribution of protected content to the plurality of receiver computer systems; recovering at least one unauthorized rebroadcast of the content; generating a score for each of the plurality of receiver computer systems with respect to the recovered unauthorized rebroadcast; calculating a threshold independent of an estimation of maximum traitor computer systems; checking a highest score against the threshold; incriminating a receiver computer system having the highest score above the threshold as a traitor computer system; and removing any unauthorized rebroadcasts overlapping with the traitor computer system. The process may be repeated from generating scores until all traitors are identified.

Abstract: A method for detecting at least one traitor computer system among a plurality of receiver computer systems including: assigning a version of protected content to each of the plurality of receiver computer systems that are currently identified as innocent by a content protection system that monitors distribution of protected content to the plurality of receiver computer systems; recovering at least one unauthorized rebroadcast of the content; generating a score for each of the plurality of receiver computer systems with respect to the recovered unauthorized rebroadcast; calculating a threshold independent of an estimation of maximum traitor computer systems; checking a highest score against the threshold; incriminating a receiver computer system having the highest score above the threshold as a traitor computer system; and removing any unauthorized rebroadcasts overlapping with the traitor computer system. The process may be repeated from generating scores until all traitors are identified.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods, systems and articles for tracing and disabling one or more unauthorized distributors of content originally transmitted by a distribution center. In some embodiments, a method includes receiving rebroadcast transmissions of a data segment previously transmitted by the distribution center, the received segment including embedded information associated with a subset of recipients that includes at least one of the unauthorized distributors, and identifying the subset based on the embedded information. The method further includes assigning recipients in the identified subset into two or more new subsets such that the at least one unauthorized distributor is assigned to one of the two or more new subsets, and coding a subsequent data segment to be transmitted with additional embedded information associated with the two or more new subsets. The above operations may be repeated until the at least unauthorized distributor is identified.