Patent ID: 6222924
Filing Date: 2001-04-24
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
A method for handling a digital media object arranged to be protected against unauthorized use, wherein the digital media object is electrically distributable to several receivers and storable on a memory medium for later use and a scrambled broadcast format is defined for electrically distributing the digital media object, the scrambled broadcast format necessitating both knowledge about the appropriate descrambling algorithm and the possession of at least one descrambling key to enable it to be descrambled, the method comprising the steps of:converting the digital media object into a scrambled storage format, which is different from said scrambled broadcast format and necessitates both knowledge about the appropriate descrambling algorithm and the possession of at least one descrambling key to enable it to be descrambled;storing said digital media object in said scrambled storage format on a memory medium; anddetermining, when the digital media object is reproduced to a user, if the difference between a timestamp included in the scrambled broadcast format and a timestamp of reproduction exceeds a predetermined maximum and preventing the digital media object from being reproduced if the difference exceeds the predetermined maximum.