Emulsion products and imagery employing steganography

• US 20020164049A1
• Filed: 03/19/2002
• Published: 11/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey B.
• Granted Patent: US 6,968,057 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32149 Methods relating to embedding, encoding, decoding, detection or retrieval operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3235 Checking or certification of the authentication information, e.g. by comparison with data stored independently
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes

Abstract

Images are steganographically marked with codes that can be used, e.g., by reference to a remote registry, to identify the image proprietors. Some embodiments pre-mark blank emulsion film or paper products with such codes, so that images formed thereon can be traced back to their proprietors. A variety of other embodiments and technologies are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A blank photographic emulsion film or paper product for exposing and developing to produce an image thereon, characterized by plural bits of digital data steganographically encoded therein.

2. The product of claim 1 wherein said plural bits of digital data serve to associate the product with a particular image proprietor, wherein images exposed on the product can be traced back to said proprietor by reference to said encoded data.

3. A registry for associating images with image proprietors, the registry comprising a data structure that associates first and second together, the first data identifying an image code with which an image is steganographically marked, and the second data identifying a proprietor of the image identified by the first data, wherein a user of a steganographically marked image can consult the registry to determine the proprietor to which a copyright payment may be owed for use of the image.

4. A computer storage medium having a digital image stored therein, the digital image having a plural-bit code steganographically encoded therein, the code serving—

by reference to a remote data structure—

to identify a proprietor of said image.