Re: Digital Watermarks
By George Bogatko
> [ "Digital Watermark" could be used to identify its source. For instance,
> [ variations in spacing, or some weird punctuation could be used.
It will more likely be a true digital signature via a one-way hash function such as MD5. Search for "RSA Data Encryption Systems" for particulars on one-way hash functions. In brief, it computes a big number (something like 8 bytes). It's infeasible to go the other way, i.e. you can't take a number and fudge the data to produce that same number; The sun will blow up before you finish guessing.
I could see it working like this:
You make your MIDI file.
You put it on your site (the one with the subscription fee), and hash both
the file and the IP address of the site into a signature.
You append the signature to the file.
You publish this signature (or lists of them) as being the only authorized
signatures of the sites from which this file could have come. Any others
are infringement.
This would also prevent anybody from changing the contents of the file since the signature would no longer compute and match. I don't see that as much of a loss.
This does not cover the question of finding out where the infringement came from. The supposition here is that you found an infringement in the first place.
If you are serious about this (it requires very large outlays of cash remember), you *sue the site you found it on*. In the discovery process, you will find out where they got it from, then you *sue that site*. Eventually, you'll get back to the original thief.
I can't see how any system of branding would solve either the search back, or the costs involved in enforcement.
None of this is meant to discourage trying. I put copyright statements on all my MIDI files, and file paper copies of them. I just don't expect to be in court going after every piss-ant infringer that comes along -- only the deep pocket ones that attract raptors that work on contingency. I'll probably win the lottery first.
The last person to make millions off the kind of music we like stole it from Scott Joplin.
GB
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George Bogatko - gbogatko@intac.com
http://www.intac.com/~gbogatko |
(Message sent Thu 1 Feb 1996, 13:47:19 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.) |
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