Patent ID: 7328453

Claim:
A method for preventing unauthorized use of digital content data in a computer system comprising: executing protected digital content data; in response to the execution of the protected digital content data, examining system devices that are operational in the system; determining whether at least one of the operational system devices is a subversion device that subverts control mechanisms of the computer system that control the unauthorized use of the digital content data, wherein the subversion device performs at least one of unauthorized study, modification, monitoring, and reconstruction of the executed protected digital content data, wherein determining comprises: determining a performance parameter of the at least one operational system device. wherein determining a performance parameter comprises supplying test data to the at least one operational system device, and monitoring performance data of the at least one operational device; and comparing the performance data to actual data collected on a sample operational device, and if the comparison result is outside a predetermined range, then determining that the operational system device is a subversion device; and initiating a defensive action if it is determined that at least one of the operational system devices is a subversion device.