Media Data Protection

Abstract

A data protection portion includes the file system alteration checking portion. One aspect of the file system alteration checking portion relates to a media including game content and a data protection portion. In one version, the data protection portion protects the game content from modification by determining whether the game content has been modified. If the game content has been modified, then the installation of the game content within the apparatus fails. A data protection portion includes the file system alteration checking portion.

1 . An apparatus comprising:
 one or more processors;   memory;   a media including game content; and   a data protection portion including a file system alteration checking portion, stored in the memory and executable on the one or more processors, that protects the apparatus from modification of the game content by determining whether the game content has been modified, and if the game content has been modified, then the use of the game content within the apparatus fails.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the media includes a removable media that is removable from the apparatus. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus includes a game console. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the data protection portion includes a media type checking portion for checking whether the type of the media is as expected for media that has not been copied. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the media type checking portion reduces the possibility of copying the game content from a pressed disk to an end user writable disk. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the data protection portion checks the entire file to ensure that the media has not been invalidated 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the data protection portion includes a file signature checking portion for checking whether the file signature is as expected for media that has not been modified. 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the data protection portion checks the contents of a file as it is opened. 
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the file system alteration checking portion allows sector level validation rather than file level validation. 
   
   
       10 . A method comprising:
 providing a media comprising media content, wherein the media content comprises at least one of game content and non-game content; and   examining the media content for modifications, the examining comprising:
 comparing an actual signature of the media content with an expected signature of the media content; and 
 launching the media content based on the examining. 
   
   
   
       11 . A method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the media content includes game content is stored in a modified Universal Disk Format (UDF), the game content within the media content is stored in a different format and the modified UDF references location of the game content on the media. 
   
   
       12 . A method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the media content includes a media type definition to determine authenticity of the media, and wherein the media content fails to launch if the media does not match the media type definition. 
   
   
       13 . A method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the media content includes non-game content and game content, and wherein the non-game content may be accessed by either a game console or a non-game console. 
   
   
       14 . A method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the comparing further comprises:
 checking an actual signature of an executable file in the media content with an expected signature of the executable file; and   confirming an actual signature of a cluster of sectors in the media containing the media content with an expected signature of the cluster of sectors.   
   
   
       15 . A method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the comparing is initiated during execution of an executable file and after the executable file initiates access to the media content. 
   
   
       16 . A computer storage media comprising computer-readable instructions for implementing the computerized method of:
 verifying whether a provided media comprising media content conforms to a stored media type definition;   examining the media content for alterations in format and content of files within the media content based on an actual and an expected signature of the media content; and   accessing the media content from the provided media if the provided media conforms to the stored media type definition and if the actual signature of the content matches the expected signature of the content.   
   
   
       17 . A computer storage media as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the examining further comprises:
 identifying a cluster of sectors of the provided media containing media content; and   comparing an actual signature for the cluster of sectors with an expected signature for the cluster of sectors.   
   
   
       18 . A computer storage media as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the examining is initiated during execution of an executable file and after the executable file initiates access of the media content