Optical DNA

A method performed using one or more hardware processors executing instructions, the method comprising:

• receiving error data reflecting manufacturing errors on an optical media instance, wherein the manufacturing errors cause illegal codewords to be read from the optical media instance and the error data identifies error positions where the illegal codewords are read from the optical media instance;
• constructing an error fingerprint of the optical media instance by encoding at least some of the error positions where the illegal codewords are read from the optical media instance, the error fingerprint being constructed using an error model reflecting probabilities associated with reading the illegal codewords from the optical media instance;
• concatenating the error fingerprint with a tag to obtain a concatenation of the error fingerprint and the tag;
• hashing the concatenation of the error fingerprint with the tag to obtain a hash of the concatenation of the error fingerprint and the tag;
• cryptographically signing the hash of the concatenation of the error fingerprint with the tag to generate a signature for the optical media instance, the signature serving to authenticate the optical media instance;
• and
• embedding the signature in the optical media instance.

A computer-readable memory device or storage device comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising:

• receiving error data reflecting manufacturing errors in an optical media instance, wherein the manufacturing errors cause illegal codewords to be read from the optical media instance and the error data identifies error positions where the illegal codewords are read from the optical media instance;
• constructing an error fingerprint of the optical media instance by encoding at least some of the error positions where the illegal codewords are read from the optical media instance, the error fingerprint being constructed using an error model reflecting probabilities of reading the illegal codewords from the optical media instance;
• concatenating the error fingerprint with a tag to obtain a concatenation of the error fingerprint and the tag;
• hashing the concatenation of the error fingerprint and the tag to obtain a hash of the concatenation of the error fingerprint and the tag;
• generating a signature for the optical media instance by cryptographically signing the hash of the concatenation of the error fingerprint and the tag, wherein the error fingerprint serves as a certificate of authenticity verified or vouched for by the signature;
• and
• embedding the signature in the optical media instance.

A system comprising:

• a hardware processor;
• and
• one or more computer-readable storage devices comprising computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the hardware processor, cause the hardware processor to:
• receive error data reflecting manufacturing errors in an optical media instance, wherein the manufacturing errors cause illegal codewords to be read from the optical media instance and the error data identifies error positions where the illegal codewords are read from the optical media instance;
• construct an error fingerprint of the optical media instance by encoding at least some of the error positions where the illegal codewords are read from the optical media instance, the error fingerprint being constructed using an error model reflecting probabilities associated with reading the illegal codewords from the optical media instance;
• concatenate the error fingerprint with a tag to obtain a concatenation of the error fingerprint and the tag;
• perform a hashing operation on the concatenation of the error fingerprint and the tag to obtain a hash of the concatenation of the error fingerprint and the tag;
• generate a signature for the optical media instance by cryptographically signing the hash of the concatenation of the error fingerprint and the tag,
• the signature serving to authenticate the optical media instance;
• and
• embed the signature in the optical media instance.