Recording medium and apparatus for protecting copyrighted digital data

Abstract

Copying, dubbing or reproducing copyrighted digital data can be inhibited or restricted to properly protect a copyright. AV data recorded on a pre-recorded tape is output from a reproducing unit of a first digital VCR with protective information indicating whether the copy of the AV data is inhibited or not. The protective information is input with the A/V data to a second digital VCR. Copy permission information of a blank tape loaded in the second digital VCR is discriminated and the second digital VCR records the AV data supplied from the first digital VCR based on the protective information and the copy permission information.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 : An apparatus for controlling copying of digital data onto a non-transitory recording medium, comprising:
 a loading device configured to load the recording medium which is able to store digital data provided from a remote site; and   a control processing unit configured to store the digital data onto the non-transitory recording medium when protective information, which is associated with the digital data and is indicative of copy restriction for the digital data, indicates that recording is permitted and when second information, which is associated with the recording medium and is indicative of copy restriction for the recording medium, indicates that the recording is permitted.   
     
     
         17 : The apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the recording medium is disc shaped. 
     
     
         18 : The apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the loading device is configured to physically accept the recording medium into the loading device in the loading process. 
     
     
         19 : The apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the protective information, which is associated with the digital data and is indicative of copy restriction for the digital data, restricts recording of the digital data to a predetermined duration. 
     
     
         20 : The apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein the predetermined duration corresponds to a number of instances of storing. 
     
     
         21 : The apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the protective information, which is associated with the digital data and is indicative of copy restriction for the digital data, is further indicative of an allotted recording amount for the digital data. 
     
     
         22 : A method for controlling copying of digital data onto a non-transitory recording medium, comprising:
 loading, at a loading device, the recording medium which is able to store digital data provided from a remote site; and   controlling, using a control processing unit, storing of the digital data onto the non-transitory recording medium when protective information, which is associated with the digital data and is indicative of copy restriction for the digital data, indicates that recording is permitted and when second information, which is associated with the recording medium and is indicative of copy restriction for the recording medium, indicates that the recording is permitted.   
     
     
         23 : The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the loading further comprises loading, at a loading device, a disc shaped recording medium which is able to store digital data provided from the remote site. 
     
     
         24 : The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the loading further comprises physically accepting the recording medium into the loading device in the loading process. 
     
     
         25 : The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the controlling further comprises controlling, using the control processing unit, the storing of the digital data onto the non-transitory recording medium when protective information, which is associated with the digital data, is indicative of copy restriction for the digital data, and restricts recording of the digital data to a predetermined duration, indicates that the recording is permitted and when second information, which is associated with the recording medium and is indicative of copy restriction for the recording medium, indicates that the recording is permitted. 
     
     
         26 : The method according to  claim 25 , wherein the controlling further comprises controlling, using the control processing unit, the storing of the digital data onto the non-transitory recording medium when protective information, which is associated with the digital data, is indicative of copy restriction for the digital data, and restricts recording of the digital data to a predetermined duration corresponding to a number of instances of storing, indicates that the recording is permitted and when second information, which is associated with the recording medium and is indicative of copy restriction for the recording medium, indicates that the recording is permitted. 
     
     
         27 : The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the controlling further comprises controlling, using the control processing unit, the storing of the digital data onto the non-transitory recording medium when protective information, which is associated with the digital data, is indicative of copy restriction for the digital data, and is further indicative of an allotted recording amount for the digital data, indicates that the recording is permitted and when second information, which is associated with the recording medium and is indicative of copy restriction for the recording medium, indicates that the recording is permitted. 
     
     
         28 : An apparatus for controlling copying of digital data onto a non-transitory recording medium, comprising:
 a loading device configured to load the non-transitory recording medium which is able to store digital data provided from a remote site;   a control processing unit configured to determine whether protective information, which is associated with the digital data and is indicative of copy restriction for the digital data, indicates that recording is permitted; and   a recording unit configured to store the digital data onto the non-transitory recording medium when the control processing unit determines that the protective information indicates that recording is permitted.   
     
     
         29 : An method for controlling copying of digital data onto a non-transitory recording medium, comprising:
 loading the non-transitory recording medium which is able to store digital data provided from a remote site;   determining, using a control processing unit, whether protective information, which is associated with the digital data and is indicative of copy restriction for the digital data, indicates that recording is permitted; and   storing the digital data onto the non-transitory recording medium when the determining determines that the protective information indicates that recording is permitted.   
     
     
         30 : A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a program that when executed by a computer causes the computer to implement a method for controlling copying of digital data onto a non-transitory recording medium, comprising:
 loading, at a loading device, the recording medium which is able to store digital data provided from a remote site; and   controlling, using a control processing unit, storing of the digital data onto the non-transitory recording medium when protective information, which is associated with the digital data and is indicative of copy restriction for the digital data, indicates that recording is permitted and when second information, which is associated with the recording medium and is indicative of copy restriction for the recording medium, indicates that the recording is permitted.   
     
     
         31 : The non-transitory computer readable medium according to  claim 30 , wherein the loading further comprises loading, at a loading device, a disc shaped recording medium which is able to store digital data provided from the remote site. 
     
     
         32 : The non-transitory computer readable medium according to  claim 30 , wherein the loading further comprises physically accepting the recording medium into the loading device in the loading process. 
     
     
         33 : The non-transitory computer readable medium according to  claim 30 , wherein the controlling further comprises controlling, using the control processing unit, the storing of the digital data onto the non-transitory recording medium when protective information, which is associated with the digital data, is indicative of copy restriction for the digital data, and restricts recording of the digital data to a predetermined duration, indicates that the recording is permitted and when second information, which is associated with the recording medium and is indicative of copy restriction for the recording medium, indicates that the recording is permitted. 
     
     
         34 : The non-transitory computer readable medium according to  claim 33 , wherein the controlling further comprises controlling, using the control processing unit, the storing of the digital data onto the non-transitory recording medium when protective information, which is associated with the digital data, is indicative of copy restriction for the digital data, and restricts recording of the digital data to a predetermined duration corresponding to a number of instances of storing, indicates that the recording is permitted and when second information, which is associated with the recording medium and is indicative of copy restriction for the recording medium, indicates that the recording is permitted. 
     
     
         35 : The non-transitory computer readable medium according to  claim 30 , wherein the controlling further comprises controlling, using the control processing unit, the storing of the digital data onto the non-transitory recording medium when protective information, which is associated with the digital data, is indicative of copy restriction for the digital data, and is further indicative of an allotted recording amount for the digital data, indicates that the recording is permitted and when second information, which is associated with the recording medium and is indicative of copy restriction for the recording medium, indicates that the recording is permitted.