A technique for creating a tamper-resistant machine identifier is
disclosed. A file is created with a set of file blocks having random
locations. Each block is identified by an object identifier that
represents the block's location. A machine identifier is created based on
the object identifiers of the file blocks. Machine-identifier-dependent
software (i.e., software that is designed to perform its function only in
the presence of a particular machine identifier) is created and loaded
into the file. The software has the machine identifier embedded within
itself, and checks the object identifiers of the file in which it is
stored against the embedded machine identifier prior to performing its
functions. The software may, in one example, be rights-management
software that is adapted to allow commercially valuable content to be
rendered only on a particular device having a particular machine
identifier.