Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for copy protection for various recording media

US5513260A · kind A · utility

258Cited by
8References
25Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJun 29, 1994
Grant dateApr 30, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 29, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N2005/91364
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for copyright protection for various recording media such as compact discs (CDs) uses a combination of symmetrical and asymmetrical data encryption to permit the player to handle either copy-protected or non-copy-protected media, in a manner that is extremely difficult to compromise. Coupled with the combination of encrypting methods, an Authenticating Signature is recorded on the media only when copy-protection is required. The nature of this Authenticating Signature is such that it will not be transferred to illicit copies made on CD recorders. When either an original protected or an original non-protected disk is played, the presence or absence of the Authenticating Signature causes the player to correctly decrypt the program data. All original CDs therefore play normally. When a copy of a non-protected CD is played, the absence of the Authenticating Signature also causes the player to correctly decrypt the program data. However, when a copy of a protected CD is played, the absence of the Authenticating Signature causes the player to generate false data which prohibits the disk from playing normally.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.