Automated copyright detection in digital images

• US 7,366,322 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2006
• Issued: 04/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Shutterfly, LLC
• Original Assignee: Shutterfly Incorporated (Shutterfly, LLC)
• Inventors: Kacker, Dhiraj, Muzzolini, Russell Ennio
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta; Bhavesh M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MACKOWEY, ANTHONY M
• Application Number:
  US11/514,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20070002362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 358/3.28, 705/26, 713/160, 713/163, 713/176
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/13 Satellite images

Abstract

A computer-assisted method for detecting copyright protection in digital images receives a digital image, searches for capture device information associated with the digital image, calculates one or more image characteristics of the digital image, and verifies copyright ownership and usage authorization of the digital image in response to the capture device information and the calculated image characteristics.

Claims

1. A computer-assisted method for detecting copyright protection in digital images, comprising:

receiving a digital image;

calculating one or more image characteristics of the digital image, wherein the image characteristics include a first aspect ratio of the digital image;

determining whether the first aspect ratio of the digital image is within a pre-specified range of a predetermined value, wherein the predetermined value is a second aspect ratio associated with digital images produced by digital cameras; and

verifying copyright ownership or usage authorization of the digital image only if the first aspect ratio is outside of the pre-specified range of the predetermined value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined value is 1.33 or 1.5.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-specified range is within 0.05 of the predetermined value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined value is associated with dimensions of an image sensor in a digital camera.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the image characteristics include at least one of:

image size, tone curve, color distribution and color balance, exposure conditions, pixel values, noise distribution, and pixel value histogram distributions.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the image characteristics include information embedded in the digital images, wherein the information embedded in the digital images relates to copyright ownership or usage authorization of the digital image.

7. The claim of 1, wherein the pre-specified range is within 0.03 of the predetermined value.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

searching for capture device information associated with the digital image; and

verifying copyright ownership or usage authorization of the digital image in response to the result of searching capture device information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the capture device information comprises header information of the digital image.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ordering an image-based product or an image service using the digital image; and

providing the image-based product or image service using the digital image when the copyright ownership or the usage authorization of the digital image is verified.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the image-based product or image service includes photographic prints, electronic image sharing, photo greeting cards, photo holiday cards, photo calendars, photo album, and photo books.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising uploading the digital image over a computer network to a server.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising visually verifying copyright ownership, usage authorization, or the image content of the digital image.

14. A computer-assisted method for determining the probability of copyright protection in digital images, comprising:

uploading the digital image over a computer network to a server;

calculating one or more image characteristics of the digital image, wherein the image characteristics include a first aspect ratio of the digital image;

determining whether the first aspect ratio of the digital image is within a pre-specified range of a predetermined value, wherein the predetermined value is a second aspect ratio associated with digital images produced by digital cameras;

verifying copyright ownership or usage authorization of the digital image only if the first aspect ratio is outside of the pre-specified range of the predetermined value;

providing an image-based product or an image service using the digital image when copyright ownership is verified or usage authorization is received for the digital image; and

stopping to provide the image-based product or the image service using the digital image when copyright ownership is verified or usage authorization is not received for the digital image.

15. A system for preventing copyright infringement, comprising:

a computer configured to receive a digital image;

a computer processor configured to calculate one or more image characteristics of the digital image, wherein the image characteristics include a first aspect ratio of the digital image, the computer processor is configured to determine whether the first aspect ratio of the digital image is within a pre-specified range of a predetermined value, wherein the predetermined value is a second aspect ratio associated with digital images produced by digital cameras; and

a copyright-verification system configured to verify copyright ownership or usage authorization of the digital image only if the first aspect ratio is outside of the pre-specified range of the predetermined value.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the pre-specified range is within 0.05 of the predetermined value.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the predetermined value is 1.33 or 1.5.