Patent ID: 8151071
Filing Date: 2012-04-03
Classification: G06F,G11B

Abstract:
1. A copy protection apparatus for protecting digital data comprising: a receiver for receiving digital data provided through one or more media, the digital data including an associated content ID and copy generation management information indicating whether the digital data is permitted to be copied from one generation to a next generation; a recording device for recording the digital data onto a medium; and a copy management controller configured, in response to an instruction from a user of the copy protection apparatus to record the digital data, to: receive, when the copy generation management information indicates that the digital data is permitted to be copied, stored copy history information associated with the digital data based on the content ID and based on a search of a storage unit for storing the history information, the history information indicating a permitted number of times of copying the digital data, the indicated permitted number of times being independent of the copy generation management information; and when the permitted number of times of copying indicated by the history information is one or more: decrement the permitted number of times of copying indicated by the history information; and instruct the recording device to record the digital data to the medium along with the content ID and copy generation management information indicating that further copying of the digital data from the medium is prohibited.