Consumer devices for recording and playback of video tape, that is video tape recorders, have been available on the market for some years, However, said devices have not as yet become so popular on the market, which of course has to do with the fact that a video tape recorder is an apparatus which is comparatively complicated and which demands a purchase price which is relatively high. A video tape recorder intended for private use is used in two ways mainly, that is on the first hand for a private recording/playback of TV-programmes, and on the other hand for playback of pre-recorded video tapes containing preferably films of so called B- and C-class. Generally it is considered that the slow development of the market for video tape recorders to a significant extent depends on the fact that the offer of pre-recorded programmes is limited and often of a low quality. Today the so called video disc is introduced on some markets, said disc being in one shape named as VLP, the playback of which requires a so called video disc player. The situation of the video disc is the same, that is the difficulty to provide a good programme software. The relatively low interest from the side of the programme producers for the markets of video tapes and video discs, respectively, may be explained to a significant extent probably by the fact that a production of a video programme requires considerable economic resources and that a programme, being recorded on a video tape or a video disc and being offered for rent or sale, may be reproduced very easily to another video tape. These reproductions, so called "pirate copies", may afterwards be offered at a price which is a fraction only of the price to be paid for the original tape or disc. As a consequence the programme producer is not guaranteed a necessary return. Already on the limited market of today the problem of pirate copies is significant.
From the side of the film producers has been announced an interest for a novel use of the video disc or the video tape, meaning that in parallel with the introduction of a new film at the cinemas the one and same film should also be kept available on a video disc or a video tape. Instead of visiting the cinema it will then be possible to rent a film on a video disc or a video tape and to watch it at home. It may be expected that this possibility will be of special interest for persons who may not go to the cinema for practical reasons. Then the video discs or video tapes may be distributed for example via the ticket office of the cinema, offering a film for rent one day for an eventual return the next following day. Each cinema playing a given film may at the same time have available for rent a number of video discs or video tapes carrying the same film.
The problems actualized when the video disc or the video tape is used in this way are of two different types mainly. The first problem has already been discussed above and has regard to the so called pirate copying. A filmproducer who may be expected to hold available a film programme for this use must be guaranteed a protection against unauthorized use by pirate copying which is satisfactory. The other problem is an administrative one and has to do with how to obtain a simple and relyable registration of the identity of the renting customer, the date of renting and return, respectively, charge of rent, etc.