PREVENTING ILLEGAL DISTRIBUTION OF COPY PROTECTED CONTENT
Method and devices are directed to invention is directed towards analyzing packets on-the-fly for pirated content. Packets are intercepted and analyzed to determine if the packets include media content. If media content is detected, a comparator determines a fingerprint associated with the media content. The comparator then compares the determined fingerprint to other fingerprints within a data store. If a match is found, forensic information may be collected. Piracy detection responses may also be performed, including: blocking transmission of the media content, providing a piracy alert message, degrading a quality of the media content, or including within the media content a watermark and/or fingerprint. In one embodiment, the packet analysis and the comparator may reside within a same or different device within a path between a source device and a destination device to enable piracy detection to be performed in real-time.
1 . A processor readable medium having computer-executable instructions, wherein the execution of the computer-executable instructions provides for copy protection of media content by enabling actions, including:
intercepting a packet and
determining if the packet comprises media content, and if the packet comprises media content, then:
determining a fingerprint from the media content, and
if the determined fingerprint indicates that piracy is being attempted, then collecting forensic information associated with the packet, and initiating a piracy detection response.
2 . The processor readable medium of claim 1 , wherein determining if the packet comprises media content further comprises making a determination based, in part, on at least one of the following: a type of bit rate associated with the packet, a protocol type, a media format, a size of the media content associated with the packet, or a pattern of packet re-transmissions.
3 . The processor readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the action of “if the determined fingerprint indicates that piracy is being attempted” further comprises at least one of receiving a comparison fingerprint through a mechanism out of band from receiving of the packet, or receiving the comparison fingerprint in-band with the media content.
4 . The processor readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the piracy detection response comprises at least one of blocking transmission of the media content over the network, degrading a quality of the media content, embedding copy control information in the media content, or providing a piracy alert.
5 . The processor readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the action of “if the determined fingerprint indicates that piracy is being attempted” further comprises performing a comparison between the determined fingerprint from the media content with other fingerprints, wherein the other fingerprints are associated with copy-protected media content.
6 . The processor readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the piracy detection response comprises including at least one of a watermark, a fingerprint, or forensic information within the media content.
7 . The processor readable medium of claim 6 , wherein initiating a piracy detection response further comprises:
modifying the media content by hiding the forensic information within the media content, or hiding other copy control information within the media content; and
providing the modified media content to a destination address determined from the intercepted packet.
8 . The processor readable medium of claim 1 , wherein collecting forensic information further comprises determining a source of the packet associated with the media content, or a destination for the intercepted packet.
9 . A modulated data signal configured to include the computer-executable instructions for performing the actions of claim 1 .
10 . A network device for managing copy protection of media content, comprising:
a transceiver to send and receive data over a network; and
at least one processor that is operative to perform actions, including:
receiving a first media content at the network device;
determining a first fingerprint associated with the first media content;
packaging a second media content into at least one network packet for distribution;
determining a second fingerprint associated with the second media content; and
if the first fingerprint matches the second fingerprint, ensuring that the second media content is encrypted if distributed.
11 . The network device of claim 10 , wherein packaging the second media content further comprises including within the packaged second media content at least one of a watermark, or forensic information associated with the second media content.
12 . The network device of claim 10 , wherein packaging the second media content further comprises degrading a quality of the second media content.
13 . The network device of claim 10 , wherein if the first fingerprint matches the second fingerprint, indicating that the second media content is an unauthorized copy of the first media content, further comprising initiating a piracy detection response that includes at least one of sending a piracy notification, or blocking transmission of the second media content over the network.
14 . The network device of claim 10 , wherein determining the first or the second fingerprint further comprises determining the fingerprint based on a characteristic of the media content.
15 . A system for detecting copying of media content, comprising:
a first processor that is operative to perform actions, including:
receiving a packet;
analyzing on-the-fly the packet to determine if it is comprises media content,
if the packet does comprise media content, redirecting the packet to a second processor;
if the packet does not comprise media content, enabling the packet to be routed to a specified destination; and
the second processor being operative to perform actions, including:
receiving the packet comprising media content;
determining a fingerprint associated with the media content; and
determining on-the-fly if the determined fingerprint matches a fingerprint associated with protected content, and if it does match, then:
determining forensic information associated with the packet; and
performing at least one piracy detection response.
16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the actions of the second processor further comprises:
receiving the fingerprint associated with protected content from at least one of in-band with the received packet comprising media content or from another processor.
17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein performing at least one piracy detection response further comprises performing at least one of sending a piracy alert, modifying the media content with forensic information, modifying the media content to degrade a quality characteristic, blocking transmission of the media content, selectively encrypting at least a portion of the media content, or modifying the media content with at least one of a fingerprint or a watermark.
18 . The system of claim 15 , wherein at least the first processor resides within at least one of a set-top-box, a personal video recorder, a personal computing device, or a switch.
19 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the second processor is operative to perform actions, further including:
if the determined fingerprint is determined to not match a fingerprint associated with protected content, enabling the packet to be transmitted to the specified destination.
20 . An apparatus for managing copy protection of media content, comprising:
a transceiver to send and receive data;
means for determining on the fly whether a packet includes media content;
means for generating on the fly a fingerprint or watermark from the media content;
means for determining on the fly whether the media content is being pirated based, in part, on a comparison between the generated fingerprint or watermark and another fingerprint or another watermark; and
means for enabling a piracy detection response and forensic information collection, if it is determined that the media content is being pirated.