Patent ID: 8818021

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving a request to transmit, to a client machine, video content including a digital watermarking message, the video content being based on a video content distribution item, the video content distribution item being divided into a plurality of video content segments, designated ones of the video content segments having a respective plurality of alternate video content segment encodings, each of the alternate video content segment encodings including a respective digital watermark, each of the digital watermarks encoding a respective first binary number, wherein different digital watermarks encode different information within the alternate video content segment encodings; for each of the designated video content segments, selecting one of the respective alternate video content segment encodings to create the digital watermarking message to include in the video content, wherein the digital watermarking message comprises a second binary number, and wherein the alternate video content segment encodings are selected so that the information encoded in the selected alternate video content segment encodings matches the second binary number; and transmitting the video content to the client machine, the video content including the selected video content segment encodings.