Photoshop New Version/New Censors

[mairving]

Interesting. Abobe has a new Photoshop version out that is not only packed with a new product activation scheme, it also censors some images. I have quoted the following from the Adobe's Forum since it requires you to login to view it.

from Adobe Forums No Wonder Photoshop CS Seems Slow - It's Analiyzing Images For Content! Brian NoSpam - 10:02am Jan 7, 2004 Pacific We received a TIFF image from a customer, of a $20 bill. The image does *not* violate any laws regarding reproduction of currency (it's not even close to actual-size, and it's not a "flat" portrayal - it's wavy, as if it's fluttering in the wind. Nor is it real-color. However, Photoshop CS refuses to open the image, and provides an error message regarding the (il)legality of currency reproduction and an "information" button that takes you to the web. (Photoshop 7, of course, has no such qualms). What the hell is this? In my book this is completely unacceptable - Photoshop is an image editor, not a censor, government policy enforcer or anything else. Adobe, you've got some explaining to do. Brian

[doctorgonzo]

That's ridiculous. Regulations say that you can reproduce currency if it is not close to actual size; you see this in advertisements all the time. I wonder what Adobe will say about this.

[homer15]

how would the software know what is and isn't currency?

[mairving]

I have also heard but that some other images like Disney images are also censored.

[doctorgonzo]

Originally posted by homer15 how would the software know what is and isn't currency?

That's not too hard. Color copiers for years have had the ability to detect when people were trying to copy currency, and subtly change the output. Coin changers are also able to tell what is and isn't currency, and they don't have fancy computing power.

[homer15]

yea, but a color copier makes a copy of a flat image. a waving dollar bill shouldn't be easily distinguishable.

[Force Flow]

That's insane. They're just supposed to sell the software, not play cop. Even IF there would be something illegal about the image, I don't think adobe should be fooling with that sort of censoring feature.

[Blakhart]

Welcome to the new world order....

[foghat46]

1984 is 20 years late, but it's here.

[Hi Ho]

I guess it's a good thing I use Picture It. That's rediculous.

[mairving]

Originally posted by Hi Ho I guess it's a good thing I use Picture It. That's rediculous.

I wouldn't be too suprised if Picture-It doesn't also have the same thing. Apparently it looks like PaintShop Pro also censors currency.

[mbossman2]

it looks like these programs have the ability to discern currency and also pick up on something embedded in copyrighted images. If you want your copyright(s) protected and honored, it is only proper that you honor and protect other copyrights.

The thing people must understand that altho that may have a copy of something, if it is copyrighted, they only have the right to use that something as defined by the owner of the copyrighted property.

[doctorgonzo]

Originally posted by mbossman2 The thing people must understand that altho that may have a copy of something, if it is copyrighted, they only have the right to use that something as defined by the owner of the copyrighted property.

Yes, but shouldn't the standard be "innocent until proven guilty?' Especially in software, where you have no recourse other than to use some other product.

It's perfectly acceptable to use currency in an image, as long as you follow certain guidelines. If you are designing ad advertisement for a newspaper using this software, and you are unable to insert a picture of currency, that is absurd. And there is nothing we can do about it.

This is a new world order, where large companies with money seek to go around existing laws and their "tedious" hurdles of burdens of proof, innocent until guilty, etc. and just get the consumer using whatever tools they can (DRM, software censorship). I don't think anybody really forsaw this.

[mc2phat]

I do not see any problem with software developers working with the US Treasury to keep our currecy the most trusted in the world.

[Strider]

I saw this news item on TechTv and they even tried copying the New $20 with Photoshop CS and it doesn't pop up a message stating you aren't allowed to copy it. I agree Adobe shouldn't be playing cop, but at the same time I can also see them wanting to protect their company from liability.

[mbossman2]

Originally posted by doctorgonzo Yes, but shouldn't the standard be "innocent until proven guilty?' Especially in software, where you have no recourse other than to use some other product.

how so? if you have a legal right to access, open and manipulate a copyrighted image/product etc, then you have a copy of the image without the embedded restrictors and/or have a code that allows you to work around.

[doctorgonzo]

Originally posted by mbossman2 how so? if you have a legal right to access, open and manipulate a copyrighted image/product etc, then you have a copy of the image without the embedded restrictors and/or have a code that allows you to work around.

Not necessarily. "Fair use" is allowed by law, for example in satirical works. You may not have the original author's permission to use these things in a parody of your own making, but it is still legal.

Anyway, preventing people from using images of currency is more than irritating, it is an invitation to poor security. Preventing people from copying money through software (or, in the case of color copiers that could detect money, through hardware) made sense when nobody had a scanner, and color copiers were extremely rare and expensive. Now, however, that is simply not the case, so this strategy must be abandoned and new strategies sought after. Clinging to this encourages people to think, "Why do we have to put new security measure on currency? We have software in place to prevent counterfeiting, and it works. Why mess with something we already have?"

To me, this makes no more sense than barring all your windows when you don't even have a front door. Serious counterfeiters aren't going to be stopped by this software, but it will keep people from doing legitimate work. What kind of a strategy is that?

[sdkfz]

This sounds like one of two things acting as the trigger for the behavior. The first and more likely

1) Software companies’ lawyers saw a liability and advised their client (the software company) that enabling this block would create a defensible position. Something along the lines of the software did not allow it and the only way around this was to hack the software which is against the EULA (I'm sure) so is just another crime to pin on the counterfeiter.
or
2) The Treasury made the request.

Since the most common source of fakes nowadays appears to be the 'casual counterfeiter" with a scanner and a color printer I can see either or both of the above. I can definitely see some attorney dragging into the court the software company with a "If this was not allowed by the software my client would never have made the funny money, it is not my clients fault for committing this crime" (yeah right!)

Now to address the other side of the coin - should I be able to make copies of money for use in advertising etc, sure you see it all the time, but this is probably a case of taking the simple route, block it, I mean - as far as the liable issue goes, if all they did was pop up a window that said "You should not be counterfeiting so as long as this is a valid scan click 'OK' else click on "Please report me to the police' button would not be defensible.

I see this as another case of the suit happy, drag every deep pocket into the case, litigious society with a technology that is rapidly leaving the ability to create laws about the tech behind. (Think music downloads for example)

[Hi Ho]

I wouldn't be too suprised if Picture-It doesn't also have the same thing.

I tested that. I scanned a 10 dollar bill into Picture It and it displayed it like any other image. I have Digital Image Pro 7.0. I think it's up to version 9 now (since i bought it a year ago!) I don't know if that's any different.

[Force Flow]

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald...ws/7674024.htm

WASHINGTON - Adobe Systems Inc. acknowledged on Friday it quietly added technology to the world's best-known graphics software at the request of government regulators and international bankers to prevent consumers from making copies of the world's major currencies.

Connor said the company's decision to use the technology was "not a step down the road towards Adobe becoming Big Brother."

Baloney.