To raise confidentiality of the value stored in the ROM, in an IC having a built-in or an externally-attached ROM storing a value (program and/or data) encrypted using a predetermined cryptographic key. The IC includes the ROM storing the encrypted value (program and/or data), a unique code generating unit, and a decrypting unit. The unique code generating unit generates a unique code specifically determined by production variation. The decrypting unit calculates a cryptographic key on the basis of the generated unique code and a correction parameter, and decrypts the encrypted value readout from the ROM by using the calculated cryptographic key. The correction parameter is preliminarily calculated outside the IC, on the basis of an initial unique code generated from the unique code generating unit immediately after production of the IC, and the predetermined cryptographic key used for encryption of the value to be stored in the ROM.

A content recording apparatus includes an obtaining unit which obtains a content having a variable-length packet structure, an encrypter which generates encrypted data by encrypting the content, and a recorder which records the encrypted data in a block unit having a fixed length in a recording medium. The encrypted data includes an invalidated region unnecessary for reproduction of the content. The recorder records a size of the invalidated region in the recording medium.

A multimedia file and methods of generating, distributing and using the multimedia file are described. Multimedia files in accordance with embodiments of the present invention can contain multiple video tracks, multiple audio tracks, multiple subtitle tracks, data that can be used to generate a menu interface to access the contents of the file and ‘meta data’ concerning the contents of the file. Multimedia files in accordance with several embodiments of the present invention also include references to video tracks, audio tracks, subtitle tracks and ‘meta data’ external to the file. One embodiment of a multimedia file in accordance with the present invention includes a series of encoded video frames and encoded menu information.

An information storage device including one or more processors configured to store an encrypted content and to control access of an external device to the information storage device is provided. The one or more processors are further configured to store a converted title key obtained by converting a title key which is an encryption key to be applied to decryption of the encrypted content, and a user token obtained by converting binding secret information to be applied to calculate the title key from the converted title key. The one or more processors are further configured to allow the external device having a confirmed access right to the information storage device to read out the user token.

A configuration capable of recording MMT format data in a medium as BDAV or SPAV format data and enabling the MMT format data to be reproduced is realized. MMT format data input via a broadcast wave or the like is input, and record data according to a BDAV format or an SPAV format is generated. A data processing unit generates an MMT format stream file storing the MMT format data as reproduction data and further generates a playlist file storing reproduction control information of the MMT format stream file and a clip information file.

It is an object of the present invention to enhance convenience and service qualities in an information distribution system. In a server serving as an information distribution apparatus and an information communication terminal, contents are managed by using content identifiers (content IDs) managed as IDs conforming to a rule of uniformity. Particularly, in the information communication terminal, a content ripped from a recording medium such as a CD and stored in storage means such as an HDD is also managed by using a content identifier acquired from the information distribution apparatus. In this way, contents stored in the storage means can be managed by using content IDs each managed as an ID common to the information communication terminal and the information distribution apparatus. In communication between the information communication terminal and the information distribution apparatus, a content identifier conforming to a rule of uniformity is used for identifying a content to which the content identifier is assigned so that the terminal is capable of downloading the content as well as acquiring additional information relevant to the content from the apparatus, and the apparatus is capable of rendering a plurality of other services.

A storage cluster of symmetric nodes includes a data privacy scheme that implements key management through secret sharing. The protection scheme preferably is implemented at install time. At install, an encryption key is generated, split, and the constituent pieces written to respective archive nodes. The key is not written to a drive to ensure that it cannot be stolen. Due to the secret sharing, any t of the n nodes must be present before the cluster can mount the drives. To un-share the secret, a process runs before the cluster comes up. It contacts as many nodes as possible to attempt to reach a sufficient t value. Once it does, the process un-shares the secret and mounts the drives locally. Given bidirectional communication, this mount occurs more or less at the same time on all t nodes. Once the drives are mounted, the cluster can continue to boot as normal.

A system and methods for permitting open access to data objects and for securing data within the data objects is disclosed. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for securing a data object is disclosed. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for securing a data object is disclosed. The method includes the steps of (1) providing a data object comprising digital data and file format information; (2) embedding independent data into a data object; and (3) scrambling the data object to degrade the data object to a predetermined signal quality level. The steps of embedding and scrambling may be performed until a predetermined condition is met. The method may also include the steps of descrambling the data object to upgrade the data object to a predetermined signal quality level, and decoding the embedded independent data.

A method that applies supplementary attribute information to the e-book content is provided. The method includes retrieving the e-book content; identifying objects in the retrieved e-book content; selecting one or more of the objects; defining one or more screen alteration attribute values regarding the selected objects; collecting an application condition for applying the defined screen alteration attribute values to the selected objects; and generating the supplementary attribute information by binding the defined screen alteration attribute values to the selected objects, and an action condition.

Method and device for supplying of a data set stored in a database to supply of a data set, e.g. the content of a copy protected audio CD, which is stored in a database, e.g. to a user PC on which said content of a copy protected audio CD cannot be accessed, the following steps are performed: receiving a serial code of a set of serial codes assigned to said data set, verifying of said received serial code, in case of a positive verification, accessing said data set correspond to said received and positively verified serial code from said database and outputting of at least parts of said accessed data.