Patent ID: 8880900

Claim:
A memory system comprising: a memory device including an authentication data area storing authentication unit information and a verification value, and a contents data area storing contents; and a host device configured to receive the authentication unit information and the verification value from the memory device, to determine whether a result of decoding the verification value matches the authentication unit information, to authenticate the memory device when the result of decoding the verification value matches the authentication unit information, and to not authenticate the memory device when the result of decoding the verification value does not match the authentication unit information, wherein the verification value is a value obtained by encoding the authentication unit information using a first key, wherein the authentication unit information and the verification value are stored in the memory device when the memory device is manufactured, and wherein the host device performs authentication of the memory device based on whether a result of decoding the verification value using a second key matches the authentication unit information, and wherein the first key is a different key than the second key; wherein the authentication unit information comprises a product identifier for the memory device, wherein the first key is a private key owned by a management entity, and wherein the verification value is a value generated by the management entity encrypting the product identifier with the private key, and provided by the management entity to a manufacturer of the memory device and stored by the manufacturer in the memory device.