Enhanced copy protection of proprietary material employing multiple watermarks
AssigneeMacrovision Corporation
InventorMark A. Hollar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for distributing proprietary material employs multiple watermarks embedded in the proprietary material for enhanced copy protection. A first watermark is to be processed by programmable and non-programmable devices configured to process the first watermark for copy protection of the proprietary material. If a programmable device eliminates the first watermark so that unauthorized copies of the proprietary material can be made, then non-programmable devices configured to process a second watermark as well as the first watermark look for and process the second watermark for copy protection of the proprietary material upon their failure to detect the first watermark.
Claims44
A method for preparing proprietary material employing multiple watermarks for enhanced copy protection, comprising:
- embedding a first watermark in proprietary material, wherein said first watermark includes copy control information indicating whether programmable and non-programmable devices configured to process said first watermark for copy protection of said proprietary material are allowed to copy said proprietary material;
- and
- embedding a second watermark in said proprietary material, wherein said second watermark includes copy control information indicating whether a first group of said non-programmable devices configured to process said second watermark for copy protection of said proprietary material in the event that said first watermark is not detected are allowed to copy said proprietary material, thereby providing enhanced copy protection of said proprietary material.
An apparatus for preparing proprietary material employing multiple watermarks for enhanced copy protection, comprising:
- means for embedding a first watermark in proprietary material, wherein said first watermark includes copy control information indicating whether programmable devices and non-programmable devices configured to process said first watermark for copy protection of said proprietary material are allowed to copy said proprietary material;
- and
- means for embedding a second watermark in said proprietary material, wherein said second watermark includes copy control information indicating whether a first group of said non-programmable devices configured to process said second watermark for copy protection of said proprietary material in the event that said first watermark is not detected are allowed to copy said proprietary material.
An apparatus for preparing proprietary material employing multiple watermarks for enhanced copy protection, comprising a computer readable medium having proprietary material with embedded first and second watermarks, wherein said first watermark includes copy control information indicating whether programmable and non-programmable devices configured to process said first watermark for copy protection of said proprietary material are allowed to copy said proprietary material, and said second watermark includes copy control information indicating whether a first group of said non-programmable devices configured to process said second watermark for copy protection of said proprietary material in the event that said first watermark is not detected are allowed to copy said proprietary material.
A method for processing proprietary material employing multiple watermarks for enhanced copy protection, comprising:
- searching for a first watermark embedded in proprietary material;
- if said first watermark is detected, then processing said first watermark for copy protection of said proprietary material;
- if said first watermark is not detected, then searching for a second watermark in said proprietary material;
- and
- if said second watermark is detected, then processing said second watermark for copy protection of said proprietary material.
An apparatus for processing proprietary material employing multiple watermarks for enhanced copy protection, comprising a non-programmable device configured to:
- search for a first watermark in proprietary material, and process said first watermark for copy protection of said proprietary material if said first watermark is detected;
- and
- if said first watermark is not detected, search for a second watermark in said proprietary material, and process said second watermark for copy protection of said proprietary material if said second watermark is detected.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.