digimarc

Watermarks tap old trick for mobile media

When astrophysicist Geoff Rhoads wanted to protect his photographs of planets from online theft in the mid-1990s, he developed watermarking technology that would help him keep track of the images he posted to the Internet. The antipiracy technology formed the basis for his company Digimarc.

Sixteen years and approximately 600 patents later (and another 400 patents pending), Digimarc hasn't exactly helped movie studios and record labels put digital pirates out of business yet, but it's on the verge of providing some interesting applications to smartphone users. And it could help print media companies tap into some much-needed but … Read more