Google shows how easy it is to steal stock images

Google researchers showed that a lack of randomness in stock image watermarks makes them susceptible to stealing easily.

The researchers discovered that all watermarks are remarkably similar in opacity, size and colours.

You have been looking for a perfect poster on the web and after hours of searching, you get to know that it’s copyrighted with ugly watermarks and has to be bought for usage. These photos are shot by professional photographers and are perfect for use as representational images. However, Google has found out a way to remove those watermarks and strip them off from their copyrights.

Tali Dekel and Michael Rubinstein — Google research scientists have demonstrated how easily they can remove watermarks from professional images available on the Internet. The researchers discovered that all watermarks are remarkably similar in opacity, size and colours. Therefore, they developed an algorithm that was smart enough to identify these watermarks from any image on the web and remove it without any trace.

The team, however, did it to help the stock image companies. They demonstrated that a simple algorithm can deny the photographers of their efforts and money. They suggested that stock image websites should adopt a more sophisticated watermarking method, something that’s random and not repetitive. Watermarks need to have a variation so that algorithms like these could be fooled and disrupted.

Source: The Asian Age