Image distribution method with identifier embedding scheme for copyright protection
Takehito Abe, Hiroshi Fujii, Kazuhiko Kushima, Norihiko Sakurai · Electronics and Communications in Japan (Part III Fundamental Electronic Science) · 2002
Abstract A problem in the transport of digital images is infringement of rights such as illegal copying. One possible method of preventing the illegal use of images is to embed an individual user identification in the image by the “electronic transparency” technique in order to detect and locate illegal copiers. It will be a large burden, however, for the provider to compose and distribute images with IDs corresponding to individual users. Another difficult problem is that mass production in low‐cost media such as CD‐ROM is made impossible. This paper proposes the following method. Image scrambling by cryptography is applied. The same image file is distributed after scrambling, using CD‐ROMs, for example. Then the decoding key is sold and the user builds in the individual ID. The effectiveness of the method is examined. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 3, 85(12): 80–88, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley. com ). DOI 10.1002/ecjc.1130