Digital record carrier and method for use of same to inhibit copying using decryption code or key from remote depository

Abstract

A technique to prevent illicit copying of a copy-protected CD or DVD into a computer-readable storage device such as a hard disk drive. When an authentic copy-protected CD or DVD is inserted into a CD or DVD drive and the content of the copy-protected CD or DVD is installed onto a hard disk drive that is linked to the CD/DVD drive, the central processing unit (CPU) associated with the CE/DVD drive and the hard disk drive executes installer instructions residing on the CD/DVD to create a license file in the hard disk drive. For security reasons, the contents of the CD/DVD (e.g. the executable file of the application program, for instance) is encrypted. When the content of the CD/DVD is copied onto the hard disk drive, it remains encrypted. The license file initially acts as a timer in order to monitor a predetermined time interval whether it has been programmed into the license file. If the user attempts to launch the encrypted copied application or other content residing in the hard disk drive at any time part of the execution of the predetermined initially, the license file readily supplies the code or key code to enable a filter to decrypt the encrypted installed application or content, thereby allowing the application or other content to launch. At the expiration of the predetermined time interval the license file withholds the code or key therefore not allowing the installed application to be decrypted and successfully launched. Instead, in one embodiment, the needed decryption code or key is supplied from a remote central depository, for instance, supplied via the Internet or e-mail or telephone or facsimile in exchange, for instance, for a payment or a password.

1 - 18 . (canceled)  
     
     
         19 . A method to inhibit copying from a digital record carrier playable upon a drive to a computer-readable data storage device wherein at least a portion of a content of the digital record carrier is encrypted, the method comprising: 
 copying the content of the digital record carrier to the computer-readable data storage device upon insertion of the digital record carrier into the drive;    monitoring whether a predetermined time interval has lapsed;    if the predetermined time interval has not lapsed, decrypting the content of the digital record carrier that has been copied thereby allowing use of the installed content with the digital record carrier not inserted in the drive; and    if the predetermined time interval has lapsed, preventing the content of the digital record carrier that has been copied from being decrypted until a code or key for decrypting the content is obtained.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein a digital signature is embedded into the digital record carrier during manufacturing wherein the digital signature is not transferable during copying of the digital record carrier to another digital record carrier or to the computer-readable data storage device, and the method further comprising: 
 if the digital signature is detected and authenticated, decrypting the content of the digital record carrier thereby allowing the content of the digital record carrier to be launched for use; and    if the digital signature is not detected and authenticated, preventing the content of the digital record carrier from being decrypted until the code or key is obtained.    
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the monitoring includes: 
 creating a file for storing a predetermined time interval value, time information on when the code or key expires, current time information, the code or key, and identification information for the digital record carrier;    determining whether the predetermined time interval has lapsed;    providing the code or key from the file if the predetermined time interval has not lapsed; and    withholding the code or key from the file if the predetermined time interval has lapsed.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the file is encrypted.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the code or key is initially obtained from the file.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the current time information is updated every 20 minutes.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the code or key is obtained from a remote depository.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the code or key is obtained via the Internet, telephone, e-mail or facsimile.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the decrypting includes using the code or key when made available to enable a filter to decrypt the content of the digital record carrier that has been installed onto the computer-readable data storage device into a random access memory.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the digital record carrier is a DVD or CD.  
     
     
         29 . A digital record carrier playable upon a drive and storing content at least a portion of which is encrypted, the record carrier further storing instructions that when executed by a processor following insertion of the digital record carrier and installation of the content of the digital record carrier into a computer-readable data storage device, include monitoring whether a predetermined time interval has lapsed, and if the predetermined time interval has not lapsed, the instructions decrypt the copied content of the digital record carrier thereby allowing the copied content to be used with the digital record carrier not inserted in the drive, and if the predetermined time interval has lapsed, the instructions prevent the copied content of the digital record carrier from being decrypted until a code or key for decrypting the content is obtained.  
     
     
         30 . The digital record carrier of  claim 29 , wherein the instructions that perform the monitoring install a file in the computer-readable data storage device, the file storing a predetermined time interval value, time information on when the code or key expires, current time information, the code or key, and identification information for the digital record carrier, the file determining whether the predetermined time interval has lapsed, and if the predetermined time interval has not lapsed, the file providing the code or key, and if the predetermined time interval has lapsed, the file withholding the code or key.  
     
     
         31 . The digital record carrier of  claim 30 , wherein the file is encrypted.  
     
     
         32 . The digital record carrier of  claim 30 , wherein the code or key is initially obtained from the file.  
     
     
         33 . The digital record carrier of  claim 28 , wherein the code or key is obtained from a remote depository.  
     
     
         34 . The digital record carrier of  claim 33 , wherein the code or key is obtained via the Internet, telephone, e-mail, or facsimile.  
     
     
         35 . The digital record carrier of  claim 31 , wherein the current time information is updated every 20 minutes.  
     
     
         36 . The digital record carrier of  claim 29 , wherein decrypting includes using the code or key when made available to enable a filter to decrypt the content of the digital record carrier that has been installed onto the computer-readable data storage device into a random access memory.  
     
     
         37 . The digital record carrier of  claim 29  having a digital signature embedded into the digital record carrier during manufacturing wherein the digital signature is not transferable during the copying of the digital record carrier to another digital record carrier or to the computer-readable data storage device, wherein if the digital signature is detected and authenticated, the instructions, when executed by the central processor, decrypting the content of the digital record carrier thereby allowing the content of the digital record carrier to be launched for use, if the digital signature is not detected and authenticated, the instructions, when executed by the central processor, preventing the content of the digital record carrier from being decrypted thereby not allowing the content of the digital record carrier to be launched for use until the code or key is obtained.  
     
     
         38 . The digital record carrier of  claim 29 , wherein the digital record carrier is a DVD or CD.