US 6,505,160 · Granted 2003-01-07

The Patent That Turned Media Files Into Smart, Connected Objects

Imagine if every song, movie, or podcast you played could automatically look itself up on the internet and pull extra information about it — like artist details, recommendations, or links to buy it. This patent describes how to hide a special code inside media files so that when you play them, your device can recognize what they are and connect to a server that does something useful with that information.

Curated and verified by the IsItPatented Editorial team

The plain-English version

What it protects

The claim covers a system where hidden identifiers are embedded in or attached to media objects (audio, video, or other content). When the media plays, a decoder extracts that identifier and optional context data, then sends it to a server. The server uses that identifier to perform an action — like retrieving metadata, redirecting to another service, or confirming what the media actually is. The protection extends to both broadcast content and streamed or compressed file formats, covering the entire chain from embedding through decoding to server response.

Why it matters

This patent bridges the gap between passive media consumption and active, networked interaction. By embedding machine-readable identifiers into content itself, it enabled media players to become gateways to services, metadata, and commerce. This technology is foundational to how modern streaming platforms, smart speakers, and connected devices recognize and enhance content — turning a simple MP3 or video file into a node in a larger digital ecosystem. Digimarc became a major player in digital watermarking and content identification, licensing this approach across industries.

Real-world use

When you play a song on a smart speaker and it automatically shows you the album art, lyrics, or artist bio on a connected screen, that device is likely using technology descended from this patent to identify and enrich what you're listening to.

Original USPTO abstract

Media objects are transformed into active, connected objects via identifiers embedded into them or their containers. In the context of a user's playback experience, a decoding process extracts the identifier from a media object and possibly additional context information and forwards it to a server. The server, in turn, maps the identifier to an action, such as returning metadata, re-directing the request to one or more other servers, requesting information from another server to identify the media object, etc. The linking process applies to broadcast objects as well as objects transmitted over networks in streaming and compressed file formats.

Patent details

Publication number: US 6,505,160
Filing date: 2000-05-02
Grant date: 2003-01-07
Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
Inventor(s): LEVY KENNETH L., RHOADS GEOFFREY B.
CPC class: G06F16/955

View original record on Google Patents →

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