ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews a framework that includes digital watermark classifications, applications, important algorithm parameters, the requirements for applications in terms of these parameters, and workflow. Digital watermarks are digital data that is embedded into content and may survive analog conversion and standard processing. Digital watermarking extends digital asset management (DAM) and electronic content management (ECM) solutions outside compliant internal systems and can speed entering metadata into local DAM and ECM systems. The challenge in commercializing watermarking algorithms is to find the optimal set of trade-offs for a given application and validating performance against customer requirements. Depending on the application, performance of the embedder or detector may be more important. Digital watermarks enable copyright holders to communicate their ownership, usually with a public detector, thereby helping to protect their content from unauthorized use, enabling infringement detection, and promoting licensing. Ideally, the watermark data is not perceptible to the human eye and ear, but can be read by computers.
