US 2003/0213710 A1 · Controlled-environment package for limited-play optical disc

Abstract

Limited play optical discs (LPOD's) are optical discs readable by a reading device for a limited period of time. After removal from it's packaging, an LPOD becomes unusable after a relatively short period of time. LPOD's can be provided with a limited shelf life by storing the LPOD's in a special package. The packaging includes a portion that controls the environment inside the package until a preset period of time passes, at which point reading-inhibit action of a material in the optical disc is allowed to go forward, which causes the disc to become unreadable. Hence, once the product exceeds its shelf life, it becomes unusable regardless of whether or not the package has been opened.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A packaged product comprising:

an optical disc storing information and including a region of reactive material that reacts with a first reagent by switching from a read-permitting state to a read-inhibiting state, said read-inhibiting state preventing at least some of the information stored on the disk from being accessed;
and
a sealed package defining a sealed internal cavity which holds the optical disc, said package including a scavenger material that scavenges the first reagent that is within the sealed internal cavity;
wherein at least a portion of the sealed package is permeable to the first reagent.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Controlled-environment package for limited-play optical disc

Life of this patent

Controlled-environment package for limited-play optical disc

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims25