Enhanced content management based on watermark extraction records

A device, comprising:

• a receiver to receive a content subject to a content screening obligation requiring an evaluation of the content's copy control status:
• an extraction record processing component coupled to a storage component, the extraction record processing component, prior to allowing the content to be used by the device, to:
• (a) make a determination as to whether or not an existing watermark extraction record for the content is available at the storage component, the existing watermark extraction record having been generated prior to reception of the content by extracting watermarks embedded in the content, and including, as part of the existing watermark extraction record, permissive or restrictive information based on the extracted watermarks,
• (b) upon a determination that the existing watermark extraction record is available, access the existing watermark extraction record;
• (c) determine whether or not the existing watermark extraction record includes restrictive information or permissive information,
• (d) upon a determination that the existing watermark extraction record includes permissive information, determine whether or not a verification of the existing watermark extraction record is needed based on a verification rate, the verification rate specifying a rate at which an affirmative decision is made to verify watermark extraction records that include permissive information, and
• (e) upon a determination that the verification of the existing watermark extraction record is not needed, allow the content to be accessed for use by the content handling device in conformance with a content use policy associated with the permissive information;
• and
• a watermark extractor to conduct watermark extraction operations for extracting at least embedded watermark from the received content in response to the extraction record processing component's determination that (A) a verification of the existing watermark extraction record must be carried out or (B) the existing watermark extraction record is unavailable.

A computer program product, embodied on one or more non-transitory computer readable media, comprising:

• program code for receiving, at a content handling device, a content that is subject to a content screening obligation requiring an evaluation of the content's copy control status;
• and
• program code for, prior to allowing the content to be used by the content handling device,
• (a) making a determination as to whether or not an existing watermark extraction record for the content is available, the existing watermark extraction record having been generated prior to receiving the content by extracting watermarks embedded in the content, and including, as part of the existing watermark extraction record, permissive or restrictive information based on the extracted watermarks;
• (b) upon a determination that the existing watermark extraction record is available, accessing the existing watermark extraction record;
• (c) determining whether or not the existing watermark extraction record includes restrictive information or permissive information,
• (d) upon a determination that the existing watermark extraction record includes permissive information, determining whether or not a verification of the existing watermark extraction record is needed based on a verification rate, the verification rate specifying a rate at which an affirmative decision is made to verify watermark extraction records that include permissive information, and
• (e) upon a determination that the verification of the existing watermark extraction record is not needed, allowing the content to be accessed for use by the content handling device in conformance with a content use policy associated with the permissive information.

A device, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory comprising processor executable code, the processor executable code, when executed by the processor, configures the device to:
• receive, at a content handling device, a content that is subject to a content screening obligation requiring an evaluation of the content's copy control status;
• and
• prior to allowing the content to be used by the content handling device:
• (a) make a determination as to whether or not an existing watermark extraction record for the content is available, the existing watermark extraction record having been generated prior to receiving the content by extracting watermarks embedded in the content, and including, as part of the existing watermark extraction record, permissive or restrictive information based on the extracted watermarks;
• (b) upon a determination that the existing watermark extraction record is available, access the existing watermark extraction record;
• (c) determine whether or not the existing watermark extraction record includes restrictive information or permissive information,
• (d) upon a determination that the existing watermark extraction record includes permissive information, determine whether or not a verification of the existing watermark extraction record is needed based on a verification rate, the verification rate specifying a rate at which an affirmative decision is made to verify watermark extraction records that include permissive information, and
• (e) upon a determination that the verification of the existing watermark extraction record is not needed, allow the content to be accessed for use by the content handling device in conformance with a content use policy associated with the permissive information.