Thread: Image Protection! Plea for Advice

  1. #1
    Code Monkey Davros's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Posts
    812

    Lightbulb Image Protection! Plea for Advice

    I have developed a product to protect digital images from copy theft. My solution makes use of an number of existing technologies, including encryption, but I believe the ensemble to be unique. What's the best way of benefiting from it?

    The way I see it, I have two options:

    1. I could take my idea to large corporations with an NDA & ask them take up my idea.

    or,

    2. I could market my own product as shareware, and hope to get some return that way. I have already developed my solution to a near complete & serviceable stage, so this option is tempting me.

    Additionally, I could patent the process behind my solution. But this is expensive & do not have the resources to protect my patent in any case.

    While option 1 may get me a quick return theoretically, I see this as a potential minefield and my NDA may not be respected. In any case, given the current climate, I don't see many potential suitors.

    Option 2 brings me a lot extra work, with the probability of smaller returns. I don't have the skills (or time) to market my product successfully, so I would have to find someone to help me. I would also be demonstrating my solution to everyone in the process. So while my product may remain unsuccessful, another company, with some marketing clout, could copy it & take the rewards.

    What should I do?

  2. #2
    Redundantly Redundant RoD's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Missouri
    Posts
    6,331
    Additionally, I could patent the process behind my solution. But this is expensive & do not have the resources to protect my patent in any case.
    Then don't do anything till you can.

  3. #3
    Code Monkey Davros's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Posts
    812
    >Then don't do anything till you can.

    Thanks for the reply.

    Any idea in the computer world has a sell by date. Before too long, someone else may hit upon the same idea using the process as I did. So waiting until I have around $20,000 disponsable cash is not an option.

    In addition, patenting an idea simply puts it on public view. Patents are for big boys, because there is no point unless you can afford to defend them.

  4. #4
    Its not rocket science vasanth's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    Posts
    1,683
    Well tell us your technique.. because many people have already come up with technology to find wheather a image od movie is copied... Some involve digital watermarks... If the image/movie is copied it shows a clear mark... and can be easily be found as copied.... Even if the image is printed and rescaned the watermark stays....(unless ofcource it is edited.. but wont look good..)..

  5. #5
    Code Monkey Davros's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Posts
    812
    >Well tell us your technique

    Oh, OK then. It works like this...

    You must be joking!
    OS: Windows XP
    Compilers: MinGW (Code::Blocks), BCB 5

    BigAngryDog.com

  6. #6
    Skunkmeister Stoned_Coder's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    2,572
    can you make 2 editions of your software?
    A lite edition that shows off commonly used things and gives people a taster for free and a full fledged package that is all singing and all dancing that you could charge a reasonable amount for.
    If so then maybe shareware is best.
    Free the weed!! Class B to class C is not good enough!!
    And the FAQ is here :- http://faq.cprogramming.com/cgi-bin/smartfaq.cgi

  7. #7
    Code Monkey Davros's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Posts
    812
    Yeh that's a good idea. I was thinking about that myself.
    OS: Windows XP
    Compilers: MinGW (Code::Blocks), BCB 5

    BigAngryDog.com

  8. #8
    Christian
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Posts
    612
    Ok do this right now:

    1. Write your idea down, how it works ect.
    2. Mail it to your self

    ok, thats it don't open it.

    Now if anyone else claims to have created this technology on there own, you have proff they you came up with the idea first.


    Simpley bring the envelope with you to court, and as long is it is dated before the company that stole your idea's dates you invented the idea, and thus deserve royalties.
    I shall call egypt the harmless dragon

    -Isaiah 30.7

  9. #9
    Banal internet user
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Posts
    1,380
    Can't someone just take a screen capture?

    I tinkered with the idea for a long time, back when I was working on a way to protect HTML code; never did get it to work... the way I see it, as long as someone can see the image, it's not safe.

  10. #10
    Code Monkey Davros's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Posts
    812
    >Ok do this right now:

    It's good advice. That's why I did that ages ago. But I appreciate the reply.

    >Can't someone just take a screen capture?

    No.

    Perhaps I have been trapped by trying to decide whether to approach a big player (option 1) OR market it myself (option 2). Maybe the answer is to progress both in parellel. That way if option 1 goes nowhere, I still have option 2.

  11. #11
    Hamster without a wheel iain's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    1,385
    i wouldnt trya nd market it yourself unless you really know what you are doing, and as for shareware - ask yourself a question - have you ever paid for shareware?

    mail it yourself as suggested, get a witness (an independant one) that can verify you posted it and wait until youy can afford to register a patent or copyright.

    but remember while you arew waiting your product may be being developed by someone else, so think about approaching some companies and tell them what your product does to generate some interest.
    Monday - what a way to spend a seventh of your life

  12. #12
    Banal internet user
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Posts
    1,380
    There more than a dozen companies who claim the same thing you do; some have a fee, others don't. None of them claim protection from screen captures without a special plugin

    If someone has an image that needs to be safe; they shouldn't put it on the WWW.

    I'm curious to see an example or proof that you can prevent screen captures; I tried several things a while back, and there was always a way around it.

  13. #13
    Redundantly Redundant RoD's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Missouri
    Posts
    6,331
    Anything u got, i'll get around it.....anything, anytime, guaranteed.

    (on this topic anyway hehe)

  14. #14
    Originally posted by Ride -or- Die
    Anything u got, i'll get around it.....anything, anytime, guaranteed.

    (on this topic anyway hehe)
    Wow mister, you must be pretty l33t!
    Haha. Whatever.
    -Save the whales. Collect the whole set.

  15. #15
    Code Monkey Davros's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Posts
    812
    >None of them claim protection from screen captures without a special plugin

    Those special plugins (as offered by www.servesafe.net for example) are there to do the following:

    a) Deny Print/Save/Copy function

    b) Hook out certain functions from the api related to screen capture. (I'm sure screen capture can be achieved anyway by reading the video buffer).

    I won't be drawn anymore.
    OS: Windows XP
    Compilers: MinGW (Code::Blocks), BCB 5

    BigAngryDog.com

Popular pages Recent additions subscribe to a feed

Similar Threads

  1. Problem reading tiff image files?
    By compz in forum C++ Programming
    Replies: 9
    Last Post: 10-30-2009, 04:17 AM
  2. Replies: 1
    Last Post: 05-27-2009, 12:46 PM
  3. Simple Image Processing
    By ejohns85 in forum C++ Programming
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 03-19-2009, 12:10 PM
  4. HotSpot image controls (web)
    By novacain in forum C# Programming
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 06-25-2008, 04:27 AM
  5. Replies: 4
    Last Post: 03-02-2003, 09:12 AM