Patent ID: 8161562

Claim:
A method for preventing unauthorized access to protected media disposed on a media storage device, said method comprising: activating an autorun mechanism disposed on said media storage device in response to a device drive coupled with a computer system receiving said media storage device, said autorun mechanism for initiating installing a compliance mechanism on said computer system; installing said compliance mechanism on said computer system, said compliance mechanism communicatively coupled with said computer system when installed thereon, said compliance mechanism for enforcing compliance with a usage restriction applicable to said protected media; obtaining control of a data input pathway of a content presentation mechanism operable on said computer system with said compliance mechanism, said compliance mechanism obtaining control by diverting a commonly used data pathway of said content presentation mechanism to a controlled data pathway monitored by said compliance mechanism, said compliance mechanism utilized to stop or disrupt the presenting of said content at said controlled data pathway when said presenting of said content is outside of a usage restriction applicable to said content; and preventing said protected media on said media storage device from being captured by an unauthorized extractor mechanism coupled with said data input pathway; said unauthorized extractor mechanism unassociated with said content presentation mechanism and attempting to capture said protected media while said content presentation mechanism is playing said protected media.