Methods and apparatus for watermarking and distributing watermarked content

1. A content distribution method, the method comprising:

receiving N watermarked versions of a first content segment, each of the N watermarked versions of the first content segment including a different watermark, N being a positive integer greater than 1;

receiving M watermarked versions of a second content segment, each of the M watermarked versions of the second content segment including a different watermark, M being a positive integer greater than 1;

receiving a session set up request from a customer premise device requesting content, said session set up request being a request for content;

generating a multi-bit session identifier in response to said session set up request;

generating a playlist of watermarked content segments corresponding to the requested content as a function of said multi-bit session identifier, said watermarked content segments in said playlist communicating at least said multi-bit session identifier; and

operating a video on demand server to generate a sequence of watermarked content segments in accordance with said playlist, said sequence of watermarked content segments including one of said N watermarked versions of the first content segment and one of said M watermarked versions of the second content segment, the sequence of watermarked content segments communicating said multi-bit session identifier with the requested content.

2. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein said playlist is a list of segments which are to be sequentially transmitted in accordance with the playlist to said customer premise device to provide the requested content; and

wherein said first and second content segments correspond to a movie or television program.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said watermarks correspond to numerical values, said sequence of watermarked content segments communicating a sequence of numerical values communicated by the watermarks included in the watermarked content segments included in said sequence of watermarked content segments.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

storing in a record the session identifier corresponding to said request for content along with billing account number information.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said record is a record in a log generated by a video server which supplied content in response to on-demand video content requests, said log including records corresponding to multiple different sessions, different records including different multi-bit session identifiers.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of generating a playlist of watermarked content segments includes:

selecting at least some of said watermarked segments from a set of differently watermarked versions of an individual segment as a function of time, said segments in the playlist communicating time information in addition to said multi-bit session identifier.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the method includes:

selecting for inclusion in said playlist at least one watermarked segment from said corresponding set of differently watermarked versions of said individual segment as a function of a date.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the method includes:

selecting for inclusion in said playlist at least one watermarked segment from said corresponding set of differently watermarked versions of said individual segment as a function of a geographic region to which said sequence of content segments is being provided.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the method includes:

selecting for inclusion in said playlist at least one watermarked segment from said corresponding set of differently watermarked versions of said individual segment as a function of an identifier corresponding to a set top box or user to which the request for content corresponds.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the method includes:

selecting for inclusion in said playlist at least one watermarked segment from said corresponding set of differently watermarked versions of said individual segment as a function of an address of a device from which said request for content was received.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the method includes:

selecting for inclusion in said playlist at least one watermarked segment from a corresponding set of differently watermarked versions of said individual segment based on at least one of: i) a time; ii) a geographic region to which said sequence of content segments is being provided; iii) an identifier corresponding to a set top box or user to which the request for content corresponds; iv) a session identifier corresponding to a communications session in which said sequence of content segments is communicated; or v) an identifier corresponding to a regional server distributing said sequence of content segments.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of generating a playlist is performed by a first device which is a different device from said video on demand server, the method further comprising:

communicating said generated playlist from the first device to said video on demand server.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said generating and transmitting steps are performed by a headend of a content distribution system which includes said first device and said video on demand server, the headend receiving said N watermarked versions of the first content segment and said M watermarked versions of the second content segment from another network device.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said another network device is a content watermarking and distribution device coupled to a plurality of regional content distribution systems, the method further comprising operating said content watermarking and distribution device to:

receive content from a content supplier;

slice the received content into a plurality of segments, said plurality of segments including said first content segment and said second content segment;

perform a watermarking operation on said first content segment to generate said N watermarked versions of said first content segment; and

perform a watermarking operation on said second content segment to generate said M watermarked versions of said second content segment.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said another network device is a package media gateway, the method further comprising:

operating said package media gateway to supply differently watermarked sets of said first and second content segments to different regional content distribution systems.

16. A content distribution system, comprising:

a video on demand server with access to N watermarked versions of a first content segment, each of the N watermarked versions of the first content segment including a different watermark, N being a positive integer greater than 1, and for receiving M watermarked versions of a second content segment, each of the M watermarked versions of the second content segment including a different watermark, M being a positive integer greater than 1;

an application server configured to:

receive a session set up request from a customer premise device requesting content, said session set up request being a request for content;

generate a multi-bit session identifier in response to said session set up request;

generate a playlist of watermarked content segments corresponding to the requested content as a function of said multi-bit session identifier said watermarked content segments in said playlist communicating at least said multi-bit session identifier;

supply said playlist to said video on demand server;

and

wherein said application server is further configured to generate a sequence of watermarked content segments in accordance with said playlist, said sequence of watermarked content segments including one of said N watermarked versions of the first content segment and one of said M watermarked versions of the second content segment, the sequence of watermarked content segments communicating said multi-bit session identifier.

17. The content distribution system of claim 16 , wherein said watermarks correspond to numerical values, said sequence of watermarked content segments communicating a sequence of numerical values communicated by the watermarks indicating a time in addition to said multi-bit session identifier.

18. The content distribution system of claim 17 , further comprising:

memory for storing a record mapping said session identifier to an identifier of a user device and an identifier of the content which was streamed.

19. The content distribution system of claim 16 , wherein said sequence of watermarked content segments communicates a plurality of at least X watermarked segments, X being a positive integer greater than 7; and

wherein said content distribution apparatus further comprises:

means for selecting each individual one of said X watermarked segments from a set of differently watermarked versions of said individual segment being selected.

20. The content distribution system of claim 19 , wherein said application server is configured to select at least one watermarked segment from a corresponding set of differently watermarked versions of said individual segment as a function of a geographic region to which said sequence of content segments is being provided.