1. A method for watermark extraction from digital host content, comprising: receiving a digital host content at a reception device; and extracting embedded watermarks from the host content, using an extraction device, the extracting comprising: decoding individual symbols of an embedded watermark in accordance with at least one watermark detection algorithm, wherein the decoding produces a correlation value, within a range of correlation values, for each individual symbol; assigning a discrete symbol value to each decoded symbol; associating a likelihood measure with each decoded symbol in accordance with the corresponding correlation value; and determining whether or not the decoded symbols constitute a valid watermark in accordance with a cumulative assessment of the discrete symbol values and the likelihood measures.