In the past, different types of content were distributed using different types of media. For example, music was distributed on compact discs (CDs) and played using a CD player. Motion pictures were distributed on VHS (Video Home System) tapes or DVDs (Digital Versatile Disks) and played using a VCR (Video Cassette Recorder) or DVD player, respectively. The CD player, VCR, and the DVD player were categorized as consumer-electronic devices which were designed for a specific type of media. These consumer-electronic devices were closed systems in which additional software could not be loaded. Therefore, these closed systems did not allow unauthorized copying of the content.
Today, however, computing devices typically have CD/DVD players (i.e., drives) and other media players integrated within them. Thus, the computing devices can play the same CD or DVD that the consumer-electronic devices can play. In addition, because computing devices are designed as open platforms, additional software can be loaded on the computing devices. This additional software may allow copying of copyrighted content and/or sharing the content with others via the Internet. Therefore, owners of the content are hesitant in allowing computing devices to play their content.
In order to accommodate the content owner's concerns, there has been a number of protection schemes designed to protect content processed on computing devices (hereinafter referred to as digital media) and to promote computing devices as secure players of digital media. One protection scheme was mandated by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). This protection scheme used an encryption algorithm called the Content Scrambling System (CSS) to protect the distribution of DVDs. DVD players were equipped to decrypt the movie content, but could not copy or store the decrypted content. However, a computer hacker developed a computer program that decrypted the CSS. The computer program was then published on the Internet. With this computer program, end-users that had DVD drives in their computing devices could decrypt and store the movie content in a standard file format. The file could then be easily shared with other users on other computing devices, thereby circumventing copyright protection.
Because computing devices are open systems, some individuals continually attempt to “break” the protection schemes that are designed to protect digital media. In order to continually protect the digital media, these protection schemes need to be continually updated. Otherwise, there is a risk that content owners will not allow certain content to be processed on the computing devices. The continual updates and the risk of not having access to certain content impacts end-users, even the end-users that are not performing any of the illegal acts. Therefore, there is need for a mechanism that does not unnecessarily impact innocent end-users when the protection scheme is violated in some manner.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds