New technology may alleviate 'lost' copyright.
Reports claiming that digital images may have unique 'fingerprints', as reported on ePHOTOzine today could have far reaching effects on copyright theft if the technology proves to be efficient enough to identify images from individual cameras.
Whilst the article does not in itself say that is what the scientists are achieving, it is certainly what the wording implies and the novel idea of being able to prosecute kidnappers from images taken of their victims would also imply a forensic level of accuracy.
While Kidnappers are not too commonplace (fortunately), the number of photographers who have had images used without their permission, effectively stealing their copyright, are far more numerous. Couple that with the moves to allow 'Orpan Works' legislation in the US and other places where similar shenanikins are going on, any tool at the photographers disposal is welcome.
It will be interesting to see how the technology develops (pardon the pun) and whether it will be able to identify images after they have been through third party software or been converted from RAW to another format, although the reports do not go into that much detail.
Should the case be that the individual camera does indeed leave a fingerprint (or is it DNA, Digital Noise Accumulation?)it would not only help in establishing copyright of a said image, it may even put the price of second hand Pro cameras up as professionals hang onto their bodies longer in order to prove that they own the images from it!
Professor Nasir Memon and his team from the Polytechnic University in Brooklyn are carrying out more tests to accumulate further data.