Copyright Notification

© 2010 · PhotoGregory | All images contained within PhotoGregory.com are copyrighted and copy-protected using Digimarc technology.  Permission is required for any usage.  All rights reserved.   Please read below for more information regarding our copyright notification.

How Digimarc Photograph & Image Tracking Works

Any visible watermark notice on a photograph is not the digital watermark.  The digital watermark uses Digimarc technology to embed a digital code added as noise to the image which is virtually imperceptible to the human eye.  The Digimarc watermark is durable in both digital and printed forms, surviving typical image edits and file format conversions.

Embedding a digital watermark in each image lets anyone using the free Digimarc Reader application obtain information about the image.  Even copying an image containing an embedded watermark also copies the watermark and any information associated with it.

Locating Stolen Images

To locate where a photograph or other image is being used without permission, Digimarc has a special search engine which automatically searches the entire World Wide Web continuously looking for our watermarked images.  When it finds one of our images, it sends us an email indicating where the image was located.

It Stands Up In Court

The Digimarc technology has been around since 1995.  Since many people steal images from websites, several have been sued for copyright infringement.  In a number of well-known copyright infringement lawsuits, Digimarc technology has been upheld as valid proof of theft and other copyright infringements.  Under Federal Law, the minimum fine for copyright infringements is $20,000.

Digimarc Can’t Be Removed

Some people think they are being clever when stealing images because they crop or otherwise alter the image.  That will not remove the Digimarc digital watermark.  Cropping, resizing, renaming the file, or any other “trick” will not remove the digital watermark.  This is because the digital watermark is embedded directly in the pixels of the image or photograph.

Due to the embedded nature of the watermark, even derivative works can be traced to illegal use.  Some people think using only half of an image is legal because it is not the entire image or photograph.  This simply is not true.  Under Federal Law using any part of an image or photograph is called a “derivative work” because the new image or photograph was created from the original, that is, the new image or photograph was derived from the original.