Patent ID: 8683601

Claim:
A system for identifying audio/video content over a network using a computer enabled to perform actions, comprising: a controller component configured to perform actions, including: receiving the audio/video content; determining a master audio/video synchronization fingerprint for the audio/video content that is based on an audio waveform from the audio/video content and a word-count waveform; determining an identifier or an instruction to determine the identifier; and sending the identifier or the instruction to another component; an identification encoding component that is in communication with the controller component and is configured to perform actions, comprising: receiving the identifier or the instruction; if the instruction is received, determining a local identifier; receiving the audio/video content and modifying at least a portion of an audio/video synchronization fingerprint by adding a plurality of synchronization shifts to the audio/video content to encode the identifier or the local identifier with a timestamp into a copy of the audio/video content during playout, wherein the identifier or the local identifier is determinable by comparing the modified audio/video synchronization fingerprint with the master audio/video synchronization fingerprint, and wherein the identifier or the local identifier is employable for tracing the copy of the audio/video content to a source within a distribution stream.