Copy protected digital data

Abstract

The present invention relates to digital data comprising a passive part ( 2 ) comprising content ( 1 ) to be protected in encrypted form, an active part ( 3 ) comprising information ( 4 ) how to decrypt the content ( 1 ) comprised in the passive part ( 2 ) and a hidden part ( 6 ), wherein the active part ( 3 ) and the corresponding passive part ( 2 ) constitute an active content ( 8 ) and the hidden part ( 6 ) is allocated to the active content ( 8 ) and/or the active part ( 3 ) of the active content ( 8 ) and/or the passive part ( 2 ) of the active content ( 8 ), the hidden part ( 6 ) comprising information ( 7 ) about properties of the respective active content ( 8 ) and/or respective active part ( 3 ) and/or the respective passive part ( 2 ). With said digital data it is a disadvantage that prior art solutions to provide copy protection are very uncomfortable for a user since either a central database has to be accessed or a special hardware has to be provided. Therefore, it is the object of the present invention to provide copy protected digital data which uses combine a high level of copy protection and a high user frankness. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for reproducing said copy protected digital content. According to the present invention, the active part ( 2 ) of the active content ( 8 ) additionally comprises rules ( 5 ) to allow and/or forbid decryption of the content ( 1 ) comprised in the passive part ( 2 ) of the active content ( 8 ) based on the information ( 7 ) comprised in the hidden part ( 6 ). Since neither a central database has to be accessed nor a special hardware has to be provided, the above object is solved.

1 . Copy protected digital data comprising
 a passive part ( 2 ) comprising content ( 1 ) to be protected in encrypted form;   an active part ( 3 ) comprising information ( 4 ) how to decrypt the content ( 1 ) comprised in the passive part ( 2 ); and   a hidden part ( 6 );   wherein   the active part ( 3 ) and the corresponding passive part ( 2 ) constitute an active content ( 8 ) and   the hidden part ( 6 ) is allocated to the active content ( 8 ) and/or the active part ( 3 ) of the active content ( 8 ) and/or the passive part ( 2 ) of the active content ( 8 ), the hidden part ( 6 ) comprising information ( 7 ) about properties of the respective active content ( 8 ) and/or respective active part ( 3 ) and/or the respective passive part ( 2 );   characterised in that   the active part ( 2 ) of the active content ( 8 ) additionally comprises rules ( 5 ) to allow and/or forbid decryption of the content ( 1 ) comprised in the passive part ( 2 ) of the active content ( 8 ) based on the information ( 7 ) comprised in the hidden part ( 6 ).   
   
   
       2 . Copy protected digital data according to  claim 1 ,
 characterised in that   the active part ( 3 ) is adapted to
 read out the information ( 7 ) comprised in the respective hidden part ( 6 ), 
 compare said information ( 7 ) with the rules ( 5 ) and 
 perform or deny decryption of the content ( 1 ) comprised in the passive part ( 2 ) based on a comparison result. 
   
   
   
       3 . Copy protected digital data according to  claim 1  or  2 ,
 characterised in that   the active part ( 3 ) of the active content ( 8 ) is adapted to permanently deny decryption of the content ( 1 ) comprised in the passive part ( 2 ) of the active content ( 8 ) if the information ( 7 ) comprised in the hidden part ( 6 ) does not comply with the rules ( 5 ) of the active part ( 3 ).   
   
   
       4 . Copy protected digital data according to  claim 1 ,  2  or  3 ,
 characterised in that   the active part ( 3 ) further comprises information ( 4 ′) how to encrypt decrypted content ( 1 ′).   
   
   
       5 . Copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims,
 characterised in that   the active part ( 3 ) is further adapted to perform decoding and/or reproduction of decrypted content ( 1 ′) after decryption of the content ( 1 ) comprised in the passive part ( 2 ).   
   
   
       6 . Copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims,
 characterised in that   the active part ( 3 ) is adapted to completely load and delete the passive part ( 2 ), to decrypt and reproduce the content ( 1 ) comprised in the loaded passive part ( 2 ), to encrypt the decrypted content ( 1 ′) after reproduction and to store the encrypted content ( 1 ) into a new passive part ( 2 *).   
   
   
       7 . Copy protected digital data according to  claim 6 ,
 characterised in that   the active part ( 3 ) is adapted to perform loading, deletion, decryption, encryption and storing of the content ( 1 ) comprised in the passive part ( 2 ) in real time during reproduction of the content ( 1 ) comprised in the passive part ( 2 ).   
   
   
       8 . Copy protected digital data according to  claim 6  or  7 ,
 characterised in that   the active part ( 3 ) is adapted to store the new passive part ( 2 *) together with an adapted active part ( 3 ) into a new active content ( 8 *).   
   
   
       9 . Copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims,
 characterised in that   the active part ( 3 ) is adapted to automatically amend itself to build an amended active part ( 3 *) each time decryption and/or encryption of the passive part ( 2 ) is performed.   
   
   
       10 . Copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims,
 characterised in that   the active part ( 3 ) is a tamper resistant software.   
   
   
       11 . Copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims,
 characterised in that   the rules ( 5 ) comprised in the active part ( 3 ) comprise information ( 5 ′) how often the content ( 1 ) comprised in the passive part ( 2 ) is allowed to be decrypted and how often the content ( 1 ) comprised in the passive part ( 2 ) has already been decrypted.   
   
   
       12 . Copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims,
 characterised in that   the rules ( 5 ) comprised in the active part ( 3 ) comprise information ( 5 ″) how long the content ( 1 ) comprised in the passive part ( 2 ) is allowed to be decrypted.   
   
   
       13 . Copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims,
 characterised in that   the rules ( 5 ) comprised in the active part ( 3 ) comprise information ( 5 ′″) how often the content ( 1 ) comprised in the passive part ( 2 ) is allowed to be lend and how often the content ( 1 ) comprised in the passive part ( 2 ) has already been lend.   
   
   
       14 . Copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims,
 characterised in that   the active content ( 8 ) constitutes a data file operable by an operating system.   
   
   
       15 . Copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims,
 characterised in that   the active part ( 3 ) is adapted to separate the passive part ( 2 ) from the active content ( 8 ) for decryption of the content ( 1 ) comprised in the passive part ( 2 ).   
   
   
       16 . Copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims,
 characterised in that   the hidden part ( 6 ) automatically is allocated to the active content ( 8 ) and/or the active part ( 3 ) of the active content ( 8 ) and/or the passive part ( 2 ) of the active content ( 8 ) by an operating system ( 9 ).   
   
   
       17 . Copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims,
 characterised in that   the hidden part ( 6 ) is stored in a system file ( 10 ) of an operating system ( 9 ).   
   
   
       18 . Copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims,
 characterised in that   the hidden part ( 6 ) is stored in encrypted form.   
   
   
       19 . Copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims,
 characterised in that   the hidden part ( 6 ) further comprises information ( 7 ′) about the location of the active content ( 8 ) and/or the active part ( 3 ) of the active content ( 8 ) and/or passive part ( 2 ) of the active content ( 8 ).   
   
   
       20 . Copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims,
 characterised in that   the information ( 7 ,  7 ′) comprised in the hidden part ( 6 ) automatically is changed by an operating system ( 9 ) to build an amended hidden part ( 6 *) each time the active content ( 8 ) and/or the active part ( 3 ) of the active content ( 8 ) and/or the passive part ( 2 ) of the active content ( 8 ) and/or the content ( 1 ) comprised in the passive part ( 2 ) of the active content ( 8 ) is read out and/or amended and/or stored.   
   
   
       21 . Copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims,
 characterised in that   the encrypted content ( 1 ) comprised in the passive part ( 2 ) is digitised audio data and/or digitised video data and/or digitised picture date and/or a database and/or a software and/or digitised text.   
   
   
       22 . Recording medium ( 11 ) or consumer electronic device or personal computer comprising copy protected digital data according to one of the preceding claims. 
   
   
       23 . Method of reproducing a copy protected digital data comprising
 a passive part ( 2 ) comprising content ( 1 ) to be protected in encrypted form;   an active part ( 3 ) comprising information ( 4 ) how to decrypt the content ( 1 ) comprised in the passive part ( 2 ); and   a hidden part ( 6 );   wherein   the active part ( 3 ) and the corresponding passive part ( 2 ) constitute an active content ( 8 ),   the hidden part ( 6 ) is allocated to the active content ( 8 ) and/or the active part ( 3 ) of the active content ( 8 ) and/or the passive part ( 2 ) of the active content ( 8 ), the hidden part ( 6 ) comprising information ( 7 ) about properties of the respective active content ( 8 ) and/or respective active part ( 3 ) and/or the respective passive part ( 2 ), and   the active part ( 3 ) of the active content ( 8 ) further comprises rules ( 5 ) to allow and/or forbid decryption of the content ( 1 ) comprised in the passive part ( 2 ) of the active content ( 8 ) based on the information ( 7 ) comprised in the hidden part ( 6 );   the method comprising the following steps:   (S 1 ) reading out the information ( 7 ) comprised in the hidden part ( 6 ) of the copy protected digital data;   (S 2 ) comparing said information ( 7 ) with the rules ( 5 ) comprised in the corresponding active part ( 3 ) of the active content ( 8 );   (S 3 ) denying decryption of the content ( 1 ) comprised in the passive part ( 2 ) of the active content ( 8 ) if the information ( 7 ) read out from the hidden part ( 6 ) does not comply with the rules ( 5 ) and terminating the method;   (S 4 ) loading the encrypted content ( 1 ) comprised in the passive part ( 2 ) of the active content ( 8 ) if the information ( 7 ) read out from the hidden part ( 6 ) complies with the rules ( 5 );   (S 5 ) performing decryption of the encrypted content ( 1 ); and   (S 6 ) reproducing decrypted content ( 1 ′).   
   
   
       24 . Method according to  claim 23 ,
 characterised in that the method further comprises the steps of
 (S 7 ) deleting the passive part ( 2 ); 
 (S 8 ) encrypting the decrypted content ( 1 ′) after reproduction; and 
 (S 9 ) storing the encrypted content ( 1 ) into a new passive part ( 2 *). 
   
   
   
       25 . Method according to  claim 24 ,
 characterised in that   the step (S 6 ) of reproducing the decrypted content ( 1 ′), the step (S 7 ) of deleting the passive part ( 2 ) and the step (S 8 ) of encrypting the decrypted content ( 1 ′) after reproduction are performed in real time during reproduction of the decrypted content ( 1 ′).   
   
   
       26 . Method according to  claim 23   24  or  25 ,
 characterised in that the method further comprises the step of
 (S 10 ) automatically amending the hidden part ( 6 ) by control of an operating system ( 9 ) to built an amended hidden part ( 6 *) each time the active content ( 8 ) and/or the active part ( 3 ) of the active content ( 8 ) and/or the passive part ( 2 ) of the active content ( 8 ) and/or the content ( 1 ) comprised in the passive part ( 2 ;  2 *) of the active content ( 8 ) is read and/or amended and/or stored. 
   
   
   
       27 . Method according to  claim 23 ,  24 ,  25  or  26 ,
 characterised in that the method further comprises the step of
 (S 11 ) automatically amending the active part ( 3 ) of the active content ( 8 ) by control of the active part ( 3 ) of the active content ( 8 ) to build an amended active part ( 3 *) each time decryption of the content ( 1 ) comprised in the passive part ( 2 ) is performed. 
   
   
   
       28 . Software product comprising a series of state elements which are adapted to be processed by a data processing means such, that a method according to one of the  claims 23  to  27  may be executed thereon.