[game_preservation] Watermarks and Studio Communication

[Henry Lowood]

<wrote this morning but forgot to send until now>

Devin,

Preservation itself, in a way, is neutral with regard to digital 
watermarking.   By that I mean that the technology and practice of 
watermarking itself should be preserved, as being likely to be of 
historical and technical interest.   So, we should expect to collect 
watermarked images.  That said, I do not think we can consider these 
as pristine images, but rather as documenting the practice of 
watermarking.  It would be rather like considering a cracked copy of 
a game, with a cracktro as being a preserved copy of the original 
game; surely, cracked copies of this sort are worth preserving, but 
they are not valid copies of the original game.   (I don't mean to 
compare cracking and watermarking, by the way, other than to point 
out that they are modified copies.)

My inclination would be to build collections of original data 
(software, images, etc.) and Creative Commons seems like a good way 
to handle access (but there are difficulties with applying it 
retroactively without permission).   We are going to wrestle with 
documenting authenticity in the LC project, and I think that's also a 
good topic for the White Paper. Then perhaps separately build 
separate collections around topics such as watermarking, cracking, 
and other means of duplication.   In some cases, of course, a copy in 
the latter sort of collection may end up being the only copy to survive.

Henry

At 09:37 AM 4/21/2008, Captain Commando wrote:

>I have started to realize that watermarking is really a bad idea. 

>Sure, it tells you where the image came from without having to check 

>the metadata, but all it does is ruin an otherwise nice image. For 

>this reason, I am starting to turn to the idea of uploading future 

>high-res images to the Metroid Database without watermarks and 

>possibly eventually converting some older images over and using 

>Creative Commons when possible. I'm not sure if this is something we 

>should be worried about (watermarking) but I know I'd prefer to have 

>images without it in my own collection. Goodness knows we already 

>get more hits than any other fan site out there anyway.

>

>-DM

>

>On Mon, Apr 21, 2008 at 10:26 AM, Simon Carless 

><<mailto:simon at archive.org>simon at archive.org> wrote:

>In more recent history, GamesPress:

>

><http://www.gamespress.co.uk/>http://www.gamespress.co.uk/

>

>...is an excellent source for unwatermarked assets. I believe you 

>need to pay a minor amount for full asset access, though. And you 

>have to be a journo to use it at all.

>

>s!

>

>

>On Mon, Apr 21, 2008 at 9:13 AM, Andrew Armstrong 

><<mailto:andrew at aarmstrong.org>andrew at aarmstrong.org> wrote:

>Oh, I noticed this on some random news feed. It is utterly 

>ridiculous (and funny no doubt), but of course this might just be an 

>indicator that someone at Capcom's American office doesn't know how 

>to contact the Japan office! (bloody interns ;-) )

>

>As for high quality unmarked copies (like, in PNG format not JPEG), 

>it's a real issue. There isn't any good unwatermarked source for 

>most of these marketing items a few years after release (this also 

>can include preview screenshots, artwork, etc.). I'll be looking to 

>source some for the Digital Game Canon website and the entries on 

>there as a prototype to see if it's feasible for the IGDA to store 

>them, or if there is any way to get them in the first place (perhaps 

>the IGDA can get some contacts going to be sent marketing materials 

>the same as press websites do and the preservation SIG can sort them).

>

>I'm sure some marketing departments keep tons of archives of this 

>kind of stuff, I just wish I knew how we could get at it! :-) IGN 

>etc. are "okay" for some research, but the fact is, it's unworkable 

>for anyone doing proper historical research or trying to reuse the 

>images in any way, since copyright (somehow) gets in the 

>way...funnily, IGN "watermarks" to protect their copyright, despite 

>the images not being theirs in the first place.

>

>Certainly the images would be better released under some less 

>restrictive copyright (creative commons or somesuch), but permission 

>is always a hassle, although I doubt anyone could sue for use of the 

>original unmarked images anyway (marked ones at the very least, 

>stupidly, might infringe trademark laws since IGN etc. plaster them 

>with their logos).

>

>Some sites don't watermark or downscale (or JPEG images, urg...) 

>though, although I've not made a list.

>

>Definitely a good whitepaper point at least!

>

>Andrew

>

>Captain Commando wrote:

>>I recently blogged about the debacle of Capcom using an image 

>>watermarked by IGN for the US Okami Wii box art. I think this is 

>>something the IGDA Preservation SIG should be concerned with as it 

>>seems to me if you're organized and have good communication between 

>>studios, you're also able to preserve stuff better (and perhaps get 

>>a better product?).

>>

>><http://deserthat.wordpress.com/2008/04/21/ign-watermarks-and-lack-of-studio-intercommunication/>http://deserthat.wordpress.com/2008/04/21/ign-watermarks-and-lack-of-studio-intercommunication/

>>

>>Another point to add to the White Paper?

>>

>>-DM

>>

>>--

>>The sleep of Reason produces monsters.

>>

>>"Until next time..."

>>Captain Commando

>>

>>

>>

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>>

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>>

>

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>

>

>--

>The sleep of Reason produces monsters.

>

>"Until next time..."

>Captain Commando

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Henry Lowood, Ph.D.
Curator for History of Science & Technology Collections;
  Film & Media Collections
HRG, Green Library, 557 Escondido Mall
Stanford University Libraries
Stanford CA 94305-6004
650-723-4602; lowood at stanford.edu; http://www.stanford.edu/~lowood 
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