A digital watermarking apparatus inputs video or audio information and
embeds digital watermark in the information, which is capable of
preventing digital watermark or set values necessary for digital
watermarking operation from being altered. The apparatus includes a
verifying section, a decrypting section and a watermarking section. The
verifying section verifies encrypted set values using verification data
in set values which is added with verification data and encrypted
together with verification data, and transmits the verification result to
the watermarking section. The verifying section also transmits the
encrypted set values which are verified to the decrypting section. The
decrypting section decrypts the encrypted set values. The watermarking
section embeds digital watermark in the information using the decrypted
and verified set values to output it, when a verification result from the
verifying section is normal. When the verification result is not normal,
the watermarking section does not output the input information to the
outside of the apparatus.