Content Protection for Recordable Media

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Content Protection for Recordable Media and Pre-Recorded Media (CPRM/CPPM) is a mechanism for controlling the copying, moving and deletion of digital media on a host device, such as a personal computer, or other digital player. It is a form of Digital Rights Management (DRM) developed by The 4C Entity, LLC (consisting of IBM, Intel, Matsushita and Toshiba).

The CPRM/CPPM Specification defines a renewable cryptographic method for protecting entertainment content when recorded on physical media. The currently implemented method utilizes the Cryptomeria cipher (C2) algorithm for symmetric encryption. The types of physical media supported include, but are not limited to, recordable DVD media and flash memory (note that the available 0.9 revision includes only the portions of the specification covering DVD media). The most widespread use of CPRM is arguably in Secure Digital cards.

The CPRM / CPPM Specification was designed to meet the robustness and renewability requirements of content owners while balancing the implementation needs of implementers of the technology. To accomplish these requirements the system defined by the specification relies on key management for interchangeable media, content encryption, and media-based renewability. A controversial and widely misunderstood proposal to add generic key exchange commands (that could be utilized by CPRM and other Content protection technologies) to ATA specifications for removeable hard drives was abandoned after outcry in 2001^[1]. CPRM is widely deployed in the popular Secure Digital card consumer-electronics flash memory format.

The use of the CPRM specification and access to the intellectual property and cryptographic materials required to implement it requires a license from 4C Entity, LLC. The license includes a facsimile key for the product which uses CPRM/CPPM technology.