The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 21, 2001
Filed:
Aug. 26, 1997
Abstract
Disclosed is an information reproducing apparatus for reading out main information to be a target of reproduction and auxiliary information to control reproduction of the main information from an information recording medium containing the main information and the auxiliary information, and reproducing the main information according to the auxiliary information. This apparatus comprises reproduction restricting information extracting means for extracting reproduction restricting information used for reproduction restriction of a part or the whole of the read-out main information, from the read-out auxiliary information; reproduction restricting information used for deciding one of various modes of reproduction restriction including a mode in which reproduction restriction is not performed; and reproduction restricting means for performing reproduction restriction of a part or the whole of the read-out main information in the mode of reproduction restriction decided by the reproduction restriction decision means. Therefore, reproduction of information, which is recorded on an information recording medium such as an optical disk and available by reproduction, can be restricted in a desired mode, whereby the use of a software, such as a movie or a computer program, can be restricted.