We will see limited play DVDs in the Grocery Stores, but I don't think it's Divx. I like Hide And Seek. It costs just penneys, you can play it on a regular DVD player, and it does the same thing as Divx...............
onlineinc.com
Hide and Seek Announces Non-Intrusive CD Copy Protection
Hide and Seek Technologies (HST) of Nederland, Colorado has recently announced several copy protection technologies that can, either singly or combined, prevent disc copying and software piracy for an extra few pennies a disc. The copy protection technology is added to the structure of the disc during the manufacturing process, but is non-intrusive and transparent to the end-user. The protection technology can either be controlled by the installation software or by the optical media itself, and requires no modifications to existing CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive design.
For software protection, a small amount of code is added to the installation files, which works with an added layer of one of several proprietary polymers on the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM media. The protection process involves spin-coating a layer of photo reactive polymer onto the data surface of the disc during the manufacturing process. Additional code added to a software installation program will cause the drive head to seek a certain spot on the disc and make multiple reads on that spot, which changes the properties of the photo-reactive material, darkening the surface of the disc at that particular location. When the disc is used for a subsequent installation, the installation program will seek the affected spot on the disc and read the error pattern that is returned. This error pattern is then used to determine if the disc has already been installed.
Using different polymer formulations, discs can also be made to work for a limited period time. In the case of a movie, for instance, a polymer formulated to react to light could be used to make the disc darken and become useless after three days. Likewise, a disc could be made to play once, or several times before the reaction of the polymer to the laser light reading the disc darkens it sufficiently to reduce its reflectivity to a point where it will no longer play. This same polymer formulation can be used on replicated software discs to allow a single installation or a certain number of installations.
Additionally, discs can be produced that are personal "keys" for other transactions, such as control of data access over the Internet. When first used, each disc becomes unique by focusing the laser on a spot on the disc, darkening the polymer coating at that sector, and thereby creating a unique error pattern. Through the installation software, this error pattern can be tied to a CPU, a particular owner, or an organization. Internet sites could send key discs to their users. Once inserted, the discs would become unique. The Internet site operators could then check to see whether that particular disc is inserted in the querying computer and could refuse access if it is not.
Among the uses for the technology is CineOnce (a trademark of Hide and Seek Entertainment, a wholly owned subsidiary of HST), a disposable CD movie protection scheme that, applied to Video CD or DVD movies, allows only single or limited viewings and opens new distribution channels for Video CD and DVD, such as vending machines or movie delivery with pizza.
Hide and Seek's copy protection technology extends to CD-R discs, too, with a different protection method. CD-R discs can be made to have a one time or limited installation by simply adding a "ripcord" to the disc, a small tab with an attached adhesive patch. The ripcord is placed near the outer edge of the disc. Before installation completes, the user is asked to remove the disc and pull the ripcord before continuing. Once the ripcord is pulled, the adhesive removes a small amount of the gold reflective layer from the disc. When the user reinserts the disc, the installation program scans the disc, looking for errors. When it finds the exposed spot on the disc, it returns an error "pattern" that is unique to each disc. The exposed portion, or "snowflake" created when the ripcord is pulled will be unique to each disc, because the adhesive will always remove a different amount and pattern of material. If the ripcord has not been pulled, no error pattern is returned and the program will refuse to complete the installation process.
If the once-installed disc is placed in another machine for installation, the installation program first scans the disc for errors. An error pattern indicates that the ripcord has already been pulled, and the installation program will refuse to install the application.
Making copies of the CD-R will not circumvent the ripcord copy protection, as the copying party will be unlikely to duplicate the placement and footprint of the ripcord. Likewise, copying a polymer-protected pressed CD will yield no usable copy, as the coating will not be on the copied disc and the installation program will not be able to find the darkened "signature" that it forms during the installation process.
HST is currently licensing its technology to software companies, CD-ROM replicators, entertainment companies, and companies who use the Internet for secure transactions.
(Hide and Seek Technologies [HST], 24 Big Springs Drive, Box 268, Nederland, Colorado 80466; 303/258-0123; Fax 303/258-7682; hstjw@indra.com) --Bob Starrett |
