Methods and apparatus for rendering an optically encoded medium unreadable and tamper-resistant

A method for making an optically readable media unreadable comprises a) providing the media with a readout surface layer that is non-flat and that inhibits optical readout of the media; b) applying a coating layer to the non-flat surface layer to smooth the non-flat surface and to enable optical readout of the media; and c) after an initiation of a readout period, reducing the thickness of the coating layer so as to expose the non-flat readout surface layer, thereby inhibiting optical readout of the media. The coating layer can comprise a volatile component, which can be partially removed to reduce the thickness of the coating layer A method of fabricating a limited play optically readable disk, comprises: d) providing a disk having a readout surface through which a readout device is able to read information; e) forming a plurality of three dimensional features at the readout surface, the features inhibiting optical readout of the disk by the reading device; f) forming a colour forming layer disposed over the readout surface and at least partially covering the features; and g) forming an outer layer disposed over the colour forming layer, wherein the features are completely covered by the colour forming layer and the outer layer and the presence of the colour forming layer and the outer layer enables optical readout of the disk by the reading device.