Controlled-access broadcast signal receiving system

Apparatus for receiving and recording data signals, comprising:

• receiving means for receiving said data signals and an access-control signal generated by a remote provider which grants users rights to reproduce said data signals;
• processing means, coupled to said receiving means, for processing said data signals to produce processed data signals;
• control means for controlling said processing means in response to said access-control signal;
• and
• storage means for storing said processed data signals and said access-control signal.

Apparatus for reproducing processed data signals, comprising:

• means for reproducing stored processed data signals to produce reproduced data signals and for retrieving a stored access-control signal generated by a remote provider which grants users rights to reproduce said data signals;
• reprocessing means for reprocessing said reproduced data signals to produce reprocessed data signals;
• and
• control means for controlling said reprocessing means in response to said retrieved access-control signal.

A method for transferring from a broadcaster to a receiver a limited reproduction right in data, comprising the steps of:

• transmitting from said broadcaster to said receiver an access-control signal generated by a remote provider and said data, said access-control signal indicating said limited reproduction right;
• receiving, at said receiver, said access-control signal and said data;
• processing, at said receiver, said data in response to said access-control signal to produce processed data;
• storing, at said receiver, said processed data and said access-control signal;
• retrieving, at said receiver, said stored access-control signal;
• reproducing, at said receiver, said stored processed data to produce reproduced data;
• and
• reprocessing, at said receiver, said reproduced data in response to said retrieved access-control signal.

A method for transferring from a broadcaster to a receiver a limited reproduction right in prerecorded data, comprising the steps of:

• transmitting from said broadcaster to said receiver an access-control signal generated by a remote provider, said access-control signal indicating said limited reproduction right;
• receiving, at said receiver, said access-control signal;
• reproducing, at said receiver, said prerecorded data;
• and
• processing, at said receiver, said reproduced data in response to said access-control signal.

A method for reproducing prerecorded data comprising the steps of:

• reproducing an access-control signal generated by a remote provider which grants users rights to reproduce said data signals from a first storage medium;
• reproducing processed data from a second storage medium in response to said access-control signal to produce reproduced data;
• and
• reprocessing said reproduced data in response to said access-control signal.

A method for erasing prerecorded data stored on a record medium in response to an access-control signal stored in a separate memory, comprising the steps of:

• retrieving said access-control signal from said separate memory;
• determining that said access-control signal is an ERASE signal;
• and
• erasing data stored on said record medium in response to said ERASE signal.