Patent ID: 8601504

Claim:
A method of tracking a broadcast program, comprising: inserting a unique watermark value into a program to be broadcast; deriving a fingerprint value based on said program's content; storing said program's watermark value and associated fingerprint value; detecting any watermark value inserted in a given broadcast program; deriving a fingerprint value based on said given broadcast program's content; creating a database in which said unique watermark(s) and their associated derived fingerprint values for a plurality of unique programs to be broadcast are stored; registering said unique watermark and associated derived fingerprint value for said program to be broadcast in said database; and redundantly identifying said given broadcast program, said redundant identification comprising: comparing any detected watermark value with said database of registered watermark values; if a detected watermark value matches a registered watermark value from said database of registered watermark values, cross-checking said fingerprint value derived from said given broadcast program against said database of registered fingerprints; and if said fingerprint matches a registered fingerprint from said database of registered fingerprints, a first identification information associated with said registered watermark value is compared with a second identification information associated with said registered fingerprint to assess a status of said broadcast program.