Microsoft and the "stealthy" Watermark

This is an interesting bit that has surfaced about Microsoft via PC World.

Way back in 2004,the folks in Redmond patented a digital watermark to be used in music that has just been approved.

What it appears to do is string through the length of an audio track, information on the composer and what not.

The technology, called "stealthy audio watermarking," inserts and detects watermarks in audio signals that can identify the content producer, "providing a signature that is embedded in the audio signal and cannot be removed," according to a filing with the U.S. Patent and Trade Organization.

Forensic digital watermarking technology, like the technology Microsoft has patented, doesn't encrypt files the way DRM technology does or prevent people from unauthorized use. However, it can be used to prove who owns the content of the digital file by encoding a file with a unique digital signature. That means illegally traded songs could be tracked back to the original purchaser, allowing authorities to identify illegal sharers and serving as a deterrent.

The article did say that Apple also has a similar technology but it is nowhere near as "stealthy" as the one Microsoft has patented. And it seems this is only looking to be licensed to calm the fears of content producers from piracy.

In fact, Apple has been inserting simple watermarks into digital audio files that include personal information about the purchaser on some files sold over iTunes so those files can be traced back to their purchaser in the case of unauthorized distribution.

However, Microsoft's watermark is much more intrinsic to the file and cannot be stripped out easily by hackers, like Apple's can.

We're all familiar with what a watermark looks like, you will often see them when one blog or another gets an exclusive picture (or sometimes they do it just because they can). It is clearly stamped with the blogs name so that even if you were to link to the picture, they would get credit.

Microsoft seems to be offering the same thing for downloaded music files.

Unfortunately it looks like this kind of technology is going to be here to stay folks. Companies will be trying ever fancier ways to try and allay their fears of being taken to the cleaners through piracy by every Average John and Jane Music Lover. We all know they are being completely paranoid, but they are convinced every time we down load a song that we are rushing to post it on a P2P site somewhere.

Completely DRM free music is moving closer on the horizon. However, when that day comes, there may be a "stealthy" watermark lurking just below the surface.

Comments

[Recording sound]

This seems to be a waste of money. From what I understand, no matter what type of watermarking is used, a song played through a speaker and them recorded by a recording device (like a cassette recorder) will never carry the tainted data. Analog soundwaves can't carry digital information.

[Contributing Writer, Aaron J. Walker]

Thanks for the comment Recording Sound. And you are absolutely right, those who go the analog route will never have to worry about DRM, watermarks and the like.

However, many people rely on digital downloads to get their music and I think it is only going to increase. As the music market gets more specialized, big box retailers like Best Buy and the like probably won't carry the particular CD you are looking for and most people will turn to the web.

This is where technology will begin to bite us all in the butt.

With this type of technology, any company can say the are giving you *unlimited use*, but they never have to tell you there is a way to track that whatever back to the purchasing source who may have shared it with someone who may have then plastered it all over the internet.

Therein in lies the problem. Stay off the radar, and you should be fine.