Theft, distribution, and piracy of digital content on optical media (software, video, audio, e-books, any content of any kind that is digitally stored and distributed) is often accomplished by copying it directly to another disc using commonly available copy tools and recordable optical media, or the copying of media to another mass manufactured disc. Methods which cause the copy process to become lengthy and inconvenient, or which produce copies that are significantly measurably different from the original and therefore be recognizable as copies, may deter or prevent an unauthorized individual from making copies. In addition, methods which generate an intended slow-down in the read process of the media can be used to authenticate the media at run time. This offers significant advantages to content creators who wish to protect their products.