Patent ID: RE43520

Claim:
A method of processing a video signal to selectively permit copying thereof, said video signal having an effective picture portion containing useful picture information from which a viewable picture is displayed and a non-picture portion in which is disposed vertical blanking identifying (VBID) data comprised of a plural-bit mode number and associated plural-bit data or data flags wherein said plural-bit mode number selectively classifies said associated plural-bit data or data flags as data or flags such that predetermined bits of said associated plural-bit data or data flags represent different information as a function of the classification by said plural-bit mode number, said method comprising the steps of generating copyright information data indicative of whether the viewable picture is subject to copyright; generating copy generation data indicative of the number of successive generations of copies that can be made from the processed video signal; and setting said predetermined bits as the copyright information data and the copy generation data when said plural-bit mode number classifies said associated plural-bit data or data flags as flags, thereby to produce said processed video signal.