Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US20080270804?ie=ISO-8859-1
Timestamp: 2014-03-13 17:22:11
Document Index: 250962667

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 2', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'art 6', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 6', 'art 6', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'arts 2', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'art 2', 'art 6', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 6', 'art 2', 'art 6', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 3']

Patent US20080270804 - Copy protected digital data - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsThe present invention relates to digital data comprising a passive part (2) comprising content (1) to be protected in encrypted form, an active part (3) comprising information (4) how to decrypt the content (1) comprised in the passive part (2) and a hidden part (6), wherein the active part (3) and the...http://www.google.com/patents/US20080270804?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US20080270804 - Copy protected digital dataAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS20080270804 A1Publication typeApplicationApplication numberUS 12/106,044Publication dateOct 30, 2008Filing dateApr 18, 2008Priority dateNov 19, 2003Also published asDE60321009D1, EP1538619A1, EP1538619B1, US8463814, US20060253713, WO2005050639A1Publication number106044, 12106044, US 2008/0270804 A1, US 2008/270804 A1, US 20080270804 A1, US 20080270804A1, US 2008270804 A1, US 2008270804A1, US-A1-20080270804, US-A1-2008270804, US2008/0270804A1, US2008/270804A1, US20080270804 A1, US20080270804A1, US2008270804 A1, US2008270804A1InventorsSabine Terranova, Alexander VollschwitzOriginal AssigneeSony Deutschland GmbhExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManReferenced by (3), Classifications (21) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetCopy protected digital dataUS 20080270804 A1Abstract The present invention relates to digital data comprising a passive part (2) comprising content (1) to be protected in encrypted form, an active part (3) comprising information (4) how to decrypt the content (1) comprised in the passive part (2) and a hidden part (6), wherein the active part (3) and the corresponding passive part (2) constitute an active content (8) and the hidden part (6) is allocated to the active content (8) and/or the active part (3) of the active content (8) and/or the passive part (2) of the active content (8), the hidden part (6) comprising information (7) about properties of the respective active content (8) and/or respective active part (3) and/or the respective passive part (2).
Therefore, it is the object of the present invention to provide copy protected digital data which uses combine a high level of copy protection and a high user frankness. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for reproducing said copy protected digital content.
According to the present invention, the active part (2) of the active content (8) additionally comprises rules (5) to allow and/or forbid decryption of the content (1) comprised in the passive part (2) of the active content (8) based on the information (7) comprised in the hidden part (6).
1. Copy protected digital data comprising
a passive part (2) comprising content (1) to be protected in encrypted form; an active part (3) comprising information (4) how to decrypt the content (1) comprised in the passive part (2); and a hidden part (6); wherein the active part (3) and the corresponding passive part (2) constitute an active content (8) and the hidden part (6) is allocated to the active content (8) and/or the active part (3) of the active content (8) and/or the passive part (2) of the active content (8), the hidden part (6) comprising information (7) about properties of the respective active content (8) and/or respective active part (3) and/or the respective passive part (2); characterised in that the active part (2) of the active content (8) additionally comprises rules (5) to allow and/or forbid decryption of the content (1) comprised in the passive part (2) of the active content (8) based on the information (7) comprised in the hidden part (6). 2. Copy protected digital data according to claim 1,
characterised in that the active part (3) is adapted to
3. Copy protected digital data according to claim 1 or 2,
characterised in that the active part (3) of the active content (8) is adapted to permanently deny decryption of the content (1) comprised in the passive part (2) of the active content (8) if the information (7) comprised in the hidden part (6) does not comply with the rules (5) of the active part (3). 4. Copy protected digital data according to claim 1, 2 or 3,
characterised in that the active part (3) further comprises information (4′) how to encrypt decrypted content (1′). 5. Copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims,
characterised in that the active part (3) is further adapted to perform decoding and/or reproduction of decrypted content (1′) after decryption of the content (1) comprised in the passive part (2). 6. Copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims,
characterised in that the active part (3) is adapted to completely load and delete the passive part (2), to decrypt and reproduce the content (1) comprised in the loaded passive part (2), to encrypt the decrypted content (1′) after reproduction and to store the encrypted content (1) into a new passive part (2*). 7. Copy protected digital data according to claim 6,
characterised in that the active part (3) is adapted to perform loading, deletion, decryption, encryption and storing of the content (1) comprised in the passive part (2) in real time during reproduction of the content (1) comprised in the passive part (2). 8. Copy protected digital data according to claim 6 or 7,
characterised in that the active part (3) is adapted to store the new passive part (2*) together with an adapted active part (3) into a new active content (8*). 9. Copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims,
characterised in that the active part (3) is adapted to automatically amend itself to build an amended active part (3*) each time decryption and/or encryption of the passive part (2) is performed. 10. Copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims,
characterised in that the active part (3) is a tamper resistant software. 11. Copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims,
characterised in that the rules (5) comprised in the active part (3) comprise information (5′) how often the content (1) comprised in the passive part (2) is allowed to be decrypted and how often the content (1) comprised in the passive part (2) has already been decrypted. 12. Copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims,
characterised in that the rules (5) comprised in the active part (3) comprise information (5″) how long the content (1) comprised in the passive part (2) is allowed to be decrypted. 13. Copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims,
characterised in that the rules (5) comprised in the active part (3) comprise information (5′″) how often the content (1) comprised in the passive part (2) is allowed to be lend and how often the content (1) comprised in the passive part (2) has already been lend. 14. Copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims,
characterised in that the active content (8) constitutes a data file operable by an operating system. 15. Copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims,
characterised in that the active part (3) is adapted to separate the passive part (2) from the active content (8) for decryption of the content (1) comprised in the passive part (2). 16. Copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims,
characterised in that the hidden part (6) automatically is allocated to the active content (8) and/or the active part (3) of the active content (8) and/or the passive part (2) of the active content (8) by an operating system (9). 17. Copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims,
characterised in that the hidden part (6) is stored in a system file (10) of an operating system (9). 18. Copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims,
characterised in that the hidden part (6) is stored in encrypted form. 19. Copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims,
characterised in that the hidden part (6) further comprises information (7′) about the location of the active content (8) and/or the active part (3) of the active content (8) and/or passive part (2) of the active content (8). 20. Copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims,
characterised in that the information (7, 7′) comprised in the hidden part (6) automatically is changed by an operating system (9) to build an amended hidden part (6*) each time the active content (8) and/or the active part (3) of the active content (8) and/or the passive part (2) of the active content (8) and/or the content (1) comprised in the passive part (2) of the active content (8) is read out and/or amended and/or stored. 21. Copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims,
characterised in that the encrypted content (1) comprised in the passive part (2) is digitised audio data and/or digitised video data and/or digitised picture date and/or a database and/or a software and/or digitised text. 22. Recording medium (11) or consumer electronic device or personal computer comprising copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims.
23. Method of reproducing a copy protected digital data comprising
a passive part (2) comprising content (1) to be protected in encrypted form; an active part (3) comprising information (4) how to decrypt the content (1) comprised in the passive part (2); and a hidden part (6); wherein the active part (3) and the corresponding passive part (2) constitute an active content (8), the hidden part (6) is allocated to the active content (8) and/or the active part (3) of the active content (8) and/or the passive part (2) of the active content (8), the hidden part (6) comprising information (7) about properties of the respective active content (8) and/or respective active part (3) and/or the respective passive part (2), and the active part (3) of the active content (8) further comprises rules (5) to allow and/or forbid decryption of the content (1) comprised in the passive part (2) of the active content (8) based on the information (7) comprised in the hidden part (6); the method comprising the following steps: (S1) reading out the information (7) comprised in the hidden part (6) of the copy protected digital data; (S2) comparing said information (7) with the rules (5) comprised in the corresponding active part (3) of the active content (8); (S3) denying decryption of the content (1) comprised in the passive part (2) of the active content (8) if the information (7) read out from the hidden part (6) does not comply with the rules (5) and terminating the method; (S4) loading the encrypted content (1) comprised in the passive part (2) of the active content (8) if the information (7) read out from the hidden part (6) complies with the rules (5); (S5) performing decryption of the encrypted content (1); and (S6) reproducing decrypted content (1′). 24. Method according to claim 23,
(S8) encrypting the decrypted content (1′) after reproduction; and
characterised in that the step (S6) of reproducing the decrypted content (1′), the step (S7) of deleting the passive part (2) and the step (S8) of encrypting the decrypted content (1′) after reproduction are performed in real time during reproduction of the decrypted content (1′). 26. Method according to claim 23 24 or 25,
27. Method according to claim 23, 24, 25 or 26,
28. Software product comprising a series of state elements which are adapted to be processed by a data processing means such, that a method according to one of the claims 23 to 27 may be executed thereon. Description
Another proposal to solve the above problem is disclosed in the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/848,468 (publication no. US 2002/0164047 A1).
A further prior art solution to solve the above problem is disclosed in the U.S. application Ser. No. 09/847,813 (publication no. US 2002/0087883 A1).
According to a further prior art approach, a special hardware (e.g. �dongle�) has to be attached to a personal computer to activate a software product.
A hidden part of the copy protected digital data which is allocated to the active content is provided by the file system of each conventional operating system to allow addressing of the active content. Therefore, said hidden part meets the standards of the respective operating system. According to the present invention, properties of the respective active content and/or the respective active and/or passive part of the copy protected digital data (e.g. storing location of the copy protected digital data, creation time of the copy protected digital data, time of last access/modification of copy protected digital data etc.) comprised in said hidden part are used for copy protection. Thus, no specialised hardware or central database has to been provided. No user input is necessary. In consequence, the inventive copy protected digital data is very user-friendly.
a passive part comprising content to be protected in encrypted form; an active part comprising information how to decrypt the content comprised in the passive part; and a hidden part;
reading out the information comprised in the hidden part of the copy protected digital data; comparing said information with the rules comprised in the corresponding active part of the active content; denying decryption of the content comprised in the passive part of the active content if the information read out from the hidden part does not comply with the rules and terminating the method; loading the encrypted content comprised in the passive part of the active content if the information read out from the hidden part complies with the rules; performing decryption of the encrypted content; and reproducing decrypted content. According to a preferred embodiment of the inventive method, the method further comprises the steps of deleting the passive part, encrypting the decrypted content after reproduction and storing the encrypted content into a new passive part.
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a copy protected digital data according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 schematically shows a recording medium comprising the copy protected digital data of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 shows a block diagram to explain reproduction of the copy protected digital data according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram of the inventive method for reproducing a copy protected digital data.
In the present embodiment, the data reproducing apparatus is a personal computer (not shown) and the operating system 9 is a �NT File System� (also called �New Technology File System�) NTFS which is running on the personal computer. The NTFS stores file relevant information (file properties) either as resident attributes in a �Master File Table� MFT or as non-resident attributes separately from the MFT in runs or extends. It is well understood that alternatively any operating system other than the NTFS might be used.
Alternatively, said encrypted content 1 might be digitised video data, digitised picture data, digitised text data (e-book), a data base or a software. It is obvious that said content 1 even might be a mix of different kinds of digital or digitised data which might be provided in any known or future format e.g. MPEG, JPEG/BMP, etc.
Since the content 1 is comprised in the passive part 2 in encrypted form, it is not possible to read out or to reproduce the information comprised in the content 1 from the passive part 2 without decryption. Thus, the passive part 2 comprises the �raw� information and does not comprise information how to read or reproduce said information.
The active part 3 comprises information 4 how to decrypt the content 1 comprised in the passive part and information 4′ how to encrypt decrypted content 1′ received by decrypting the content 1 comprised in the passive part 2.
In the present embodiment, said rules 5 comprise internal information 5′ how often the content 1 comprised in the passive part 2 is allowed to be decrypted and how often the content 1 has already been decrypted by the active part 3, information 5″ for which time period the content 1 is allowed to be decrypted and for which time period the content 1 has already been decrypted by the active part 3 and information 5′″ how often the content 1 is allowed to be lend and how often the content 1 has already been lend. The information 5′″ how often the content 1 comprised in the passive part 2 has already been lend can be received e.g. by logging the different hardware characteristics of the reproducing apparatus the active content 8 has already been stored to.
Thus, the active part 3 compares the information 7 comprised in the hidden part 6 with the internal information 5, 5′, 5″ etc. and decides based on the rules 5 by using the comparison result whether it is possible to decrypt the passive part 2 of the active content 8 or not.
Moreover, the active part 3 is adapted to perform decoding and reproduction of decrypted content 1′ which is generated by decryption of the content 1 comprised in the passive part 2. Thus, the active part 3 additionally knows how to play back the passive part 2.
To avoid a manipulation of the active part 3, the active part is provided as a tamper resistant software (see e.g. D. AUCSMITH �Tamper Resistant Software: an Implementation� and the essay �The Encoder Solution To Implementing Tamper Resistant Software� by J. R. NICKERSON, S. T. CHOW, H. J. JOHNSON, and Y. GU).
In this preferred embodiment, the active part 3 is adapted to read out the information 7, 7′ comprised in the hidden part 6 of the copy protected digital data. Said hidden part 6 is stored in the Master Table File 10 of the operating system 9. This reading operation is performed by the operating system 9 under control of the active part 3 in a first step S1.
Furthermore, the active part 3 is adapted to compare said information 7, 7′ with the rules 5′, 5″ and 5′″ comprised in the active part 3 in step S2.
If the information 7, 7′ does not comply with the rules 5′, 5″ and 5′″ (e.g. the creation time or time of last modification of the active content 8 which is stored in the hidden file does not correspond to the creation time or time of last modification of the active content 8 stored as an internal information in the active part 3, respectively), it is supposed that an illegal copy has been detected. In consequence, decryption of the content 1 comprised in the passive part 2 is denied by the active part 3 in step S3 and the method for reproducing copy protected digital data is terminated.
In case the information 7, 7′ complies with the internal information stored in the active part 3 and thus meets rules 5′, 5″ and 5′″, the active part 3 is further adapted to perform decryption of the content 1 comprised in the passive part 2.
Afterwards (step S5) the active part 3 decrypts the content 1 comprised in the passive parts 2 to build a decrypted content l′ by using the information 4 how to decrypt the content 1 which is stored in the active part 3.
Following decryption, the decrypted content 1′ is reproduced by the active part 3 in step S6.
Immediately after reproduction of a fraction of the decrypted content 1′, the active part 3 encrypts the decrypted content 1′ in step S8 by using information 4′ stored in the active part 3.
Since loading, deletion, decryption, encryption, and storing of the content 1 comprised in the passive part 2 are performed in real time by the active part 3, at no time of the reproducing operation a completed data set of encrypted content l′ is provided. Therefore, even during reproduction of the copy protected digital data a high level of copy protection is maintained.
By storing the reproduced and encrypted content 1 into a new passive part 2*(which might be comprised in a new or modified active content) each time reproduction is performed, the operating system 9 automatically allocates a new/an amended hidden part 6* to the new passive part 2*(or the active content comprising the new passive part) in the following step S10. Thus, the property information of the passive part 2, 2* comprised in the hidden part 6* automatically is changed each time the content 1 comprised in the passive part 2, 2* is reproduced. It has to be stressed that the hidden part 6 alternatively might be amended under control of the active part 3 each time the passive part is read out or changed due to a reproducing or copying operation.
After completion of the reproducing operation, the active part 3 is adapted to automatically amend itself and to update the rules 5′, 5″ and 5 . . . to build an amended active part 3* comprising amended rules 5*′, 5*″ and 5*′″ (in step S11).
To additionally enhance security of copy protection, even the information 4 how to decrypt the content 1 comprised in the passive part 2* and the information 4′ how to encrypt decrypted content 1 comprised in the passive part 2* may be modified under control of the active part 3, 3* each time reproduction is performed.
Referenced byCiting PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS7634521 *Apr 27, 2006Dec 15, 2009Symantec CorporationTechnique for scanning stealthed, locked, and encrypted filesUS7672454 *Dec 28, 2004Mar 2, 2010Sony Deutschland GmbhMethod for copy protection of digital contentUS8266709Feb 4, 2009Sep 11, 2012Harris Technology, LlcAdjustable resolution media format* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification713/189, G9B/20.002International ClassificationG06F21/12, G06F21/10, G06F1/00, G06F9/06, G11B20/00, G06F21/00Cooperative ClassificationG11B20/00797, G11B20/00855, G11B20/00086, G06F2221/0748, G06F21/126, G11B20/0021, G06F21/10European ClassificationG11B20/00P5, G11B20/00P12, G06F21/10, G06F21/12A4A, G11B20/00P11B4, G11B20/00PRotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services©2012 Google