January 04, 2024
To protect digital content owners and consumers, Digimarc, the pioneer in digital watermarking, is offering device manufacturers, chip manufacturers, and content creation platforms free access to its Secure, Automated, Fair, and Efficient (SAFE™) digital watermark embedding and detection tools for digital assets.
As generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) continues developing at an accelerated speed, the lack of existing regulations, and the potential for increased misinformation during an important election year are combined conditions for the perfect storm.
By embedding and detecting digital watermarks in the device (smartphone, camera, tablet, laptop, etc.), manufacturers can now embed digital watermarks providing authenticity and ownership to content creators before assets are published. Content platforms can offer the same service while protecting digital asset manifests which are often removed when content is uploaded to content libraries, websites, or social media.
What is a Digital Watermark?
The term ‘watermarking’ has been widely used in the media recently and was highlighted in the U.S. Executive Order on managing the risks of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). But not all digital watermarks are equal. SAFE™ digital watermarks communicate content provenance, authenticity, and copyright information about a digital asset in a way that is both secure and inextricably linked to the asset itself. This provides a more trustworthy and reliable digital watermark.
“We believe tools like robust digital watermarks can change our digital ecosystem from one of uncertainty, unfairness, and suspicion to one of greater authenticity, fairness, and trust,” said CEO Riley McCormack. “The technology to authenticate content online is available today, and we will continue to lead the way for the creation of a system that protects the rights of content owners and consumers.”
Defining Metadata and Manifests
Metadata explains who owns a digital asset and its provenance and that data can be stored in a manifest. This information determines authenticity of digital content. Metadata can be altered and easily removed, which is why embedded digital watermarks are critical in giving metadata longtime value.
In November, Digimarc launched the industry-first open-source Google Chrome web browser extension that validates digital assets based on the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) standard. This extension makes it simple to check images for C2PA manifests and adding a Content Credentials pin (“CR”) to the image if a manifest is present. The web extension is available in the Chrome Web Store.
Want to learn more about Digimarc’s free offer for device and chip manufacturers and content platforms? Contact us or visit https://www.digimarc.com/products/digital-content-authentication.