Method and apparatus for providing television services using an authenticating television receiver device

A smart chip protection system contains a unique public/private identity key pair and uses a separate public/private signature key pair. The internally stored identity private key can not be read outside the chip. An issuing entity generates a descriptor containing the identity public key, attribute data, and a digital signature of the two, using a signature private key known only to the issuer. The authenticity of the descriptor is verified by decrypting the signature using the signature public key, and comparing the result to source data. An object's identity can be verified by requesting the smart chip to perform a data transformation using its identity private key, and performing the complement using the public key. An exemplary embodiment is a television receiver system which verifies identity of an embedded smart chip and entitlement to receive television service.