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Archive 2004 · Photoshop CS Adds Banknote Image Detection, Blocking?

Nagash
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p.3 #1 · Photoshop CS Adds Banknote Image Detection, Blocking?

More Good news for us:

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/breaking_news/7674024.htm

http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1104_2-5138816.html

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/computing/20040109-1634-copyingdollars.html

Google Links to stories
http://tinyurl.com/2tubx

"Kevin Connor, Adobe's product management director, said the company did not disclose the technology in Photoshop's instructions at the request of international bankers. He said Adobe is looking at adding the detection mechanism to its other products."

"The creator of the technology, Digimarc, confirmed that it had produced the code under contract to the banking group, but wouldn't discuss any details.

"Due to the nature of the project, all the players and details are confidential," said Leslie Constans. Jasc, the maker of Paintshop Pro, couldn't be reached for comment.

Little information exists on the Central Bank Counterfeit Deterrence Group (CBCDG).
"

Now let me get this right.

Adobe added code that they dont know what it does.

Hmm Now I fell even warmer feelings for adobe.

Jan 10, 2004 at 02:36 AM

stancourtney
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p.3 #2 · Photoshop CS Adds Banknote Image Detection, Blocking?

I hope Adobe doesn't put a governor on my speedometer in my car.

Jan 10, 2004 at 02:53 AM

LloydPatterson
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p.3 #3 · Photoshop CS Adds Banknote Image Detection, Blocking?

Well.. This revelation has been quite interesting to say the least. I am certainly not inconvenienced by this limitation, but it does get one thinking..
.... I wonder if this feature might be tied into CS connecting back to Adobe server via the internet.....

Think about it. You use Adobe to open a file with scanned pictures of currency. CS connects back to adobe with information gathered from your PC whch could be passed on to God knows where, suddenly your name is in some database.. A long shot...maybe... but who knows.

Does anyone know the reason why CS tries to connectt o Adobes server ocaisionally? It is not daily or weekly, but once or twice per month Zone Alarm shows it connecting to Adobe even though it has been registered and activated for months.. What more information could they possibly need?

As i said. I am not inconvenienced by this Image detection "feature" in the least but their secrecy on this matter does leave me feeling quite uneasy.

A trust has been broken!

Jan 10, 2004 at 03:22 AM

ejmatl
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p.3 #4 · Photoshop CS Adds Banknote Image Detection, Blocking?

Throughout this whole thing, I've been centered not on the fact that Adobe has implemented a feature that prohibits the scanning/opening/"whatever" of an image that contains an unauthorised bill, but on the lack of disclosure and the violation of trust. But, I have to admit the following, taken from a Zdnet article, makes me stop in my tracks and think on a more literal level:

"The current implementation does not take into account your intent," said Adobe's Connor, who characterized the curtailing of artists rights as just "changing the source of where you would get the images."

Adobe has taken it upon itself to not only deny US citizens of their rights without providing disclosure - but to also deny citizens of other countries of their rights - and has done so with the help of an organisation that not only is not available for comment, but that very little is known about

I, usually, stay away from "conspiracy theories" - but I have to admit, right now, I'm beginning to believe what's being said or implied might, in fact, be correct.

eileen in bc (resident of canada, citizen of the us, first generation american, feeling really, really angry - and hurt - right now)

Jan 10, 2004 at 03:33 AM

Nagash
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p.3 #5 · Photoshop CS Adds Banknote Image Detection, Blocking?

Heres another qoute from the Miami Paper

"Another security expert, Gene Spafford of Purdue University, said Adobe should have notified its customers prominently. He wondered how closely Adobe was permitted to study the technology's inner-workings to ensure it was stable and performed as advertised.

"If I were the paranoid-conspiracy type, I would speculate that since it's not Adobe's software, what else is it doing?" Spafford said.

"

Jan 10, 2004 at 03:34 AM

Nagash
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p.3 #6 · Photoshop CS Adds Banknote Image Detection, Blocking?

Prince I think that PS contacting Version cue on your localhost.

The IP is 127.0.0.1 that your computer

Jan 10, 2004 at 03:35 AM

Nagash
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p.3 #7 · Photoshop CS Adds Banknote Image Detection, Blocking?

That very little know organisation is based in Germany...

Jan 10, 2004 at 03:36 AM

Marvin Gentry
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p.3 #8 · Photoshop CS Adds Banknote Image Detection, Blocking?

I believe I would delete the scan of hte money I believe that the FBI or the secret srevice coudl cause you lots of trouble

Jan 10, 2004 at 04:22 AM

Nagash
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p.3 #9 · Photoshop CS Adds Banknote Image Detection, Blocking?

it isnt illegal to do that.

here is the law...

http://www.treas.gov/usss/money_illustrations.shtml

Jan 10, 2004 at 04:46 AM

CyberDyne
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p.3 #10 · Photoshop CS Adds Banknote Image Detection, Blocking?

The thing about tricks like this,. is it BEGS for hacks,.

All the poor gamers out there (and if you aren't a PC gamer you don't know how bad this is) shell out $50.00 for a game that relies on a SUPER BUGGY "CD-Check" to ensure that the CD is there and thus the game is not pirated,. unfortunatelyt "CD-Check" software is about the least stable thing on a PC,. the act of forcing a high frame rate game with gobs of Ram and Vidie RAM invested in play, to STOP dead in it's tracks so the game can randomly acces the pathetically slow CD-ROM drive across the god forsaken ASPI layer to the IDE channel on the tired old PCI bus,...

It Guarantees a lock up... frozen with usually a cold reboot to get you going again, and the loss of possibly hours invested in the level.

The "NoCD" hack isn't for Piracy,. it is so the damn game is actually playable!

... sorry I'm off on a tangent,.

..my point was, this stuff is done to the software and it has nothing to do with the product itself,. Every tom dick and Bil Gates feels the need now to load up there software with personal freedom robbing spyware,.

...and now banking industry backed (and maybe Federal? ) booby traps!

AAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!

And the courts are putting 12 year old girls in jail for trading mp3s!

Oh Yeah., SHE's the threat!!!!!!!!

//sorry,.

Jan 10, 2004 at 05:05 AM

CyberDyne
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p.3 #11 · Photoshop CS Adds Banknote Image Detection, Blocking?

O-kay,. it may be my twenty is to old, (but it looks really good,. fresh out of a Cash Machine)

Assuming this is the reason I was just able to scan a twenty with no problem what so ever into CS...

The Hack is as follows;

Go to your PS directory,
D:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop CS\Plug-Ins\Digimarc

In the Digimarc directory,. there are two plugins that none of us ever use...

I just took them out.

I think this was too easy,. and there is some other reason I was able to scan the twenty

??

Jan 10, 2004 at 05:20 AM

Jack Flesher
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p.3 #12 · Photoshop CS Adds Banknote Image Detection, Blocking?

Well CS definitely would NOT let me scan one on the first try and linked me to some useless website about currency. Anyway as with any challenge a dedicated effort will usually find a workaround.

Jan 10, 2004 at 06:12 AM

Kyle Yates
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p.3 #13 · Photoshop CS Adds Banknote Image Detection, Blocking?

I must have missed something here as mine doesn't give any problems.

Use Image Ready and no probs.

Here's the "Un openable Photo".

I've also scanned a 100 EUR note and a GBP 20 note -- I won't put it on the website as you have to include the word SPECIMEN on UK currency if displaying a full size image. (HM "Lizzie" still owns the copyright of this stuff unbelievably) -- but it works with no probs -- so I suspect Adobe CS forgot about the Image Ready bit of the program.

This image is copyrighted by the owner

This image is copyrighted by the owner

I have to agree that the software shouldn't have "deteection" built in -- what If I wanted to build movie sets for a mythical country with its own currency --say like Middle Earth etc.

Jan 10, 2004 at 10:12 AM

Mickey
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p.3 #14 · Photoshop CS Adds Banknote Image Detection, Blocking?

"Adobe has taken it upon itself to not only deny US citizens of their rights without providing disclosure - but to also deny citizens of other countries of their rights"

Oh Please! How has Adobe denied you of any rights

? It is their product! In that respect you have no rights. Except to purchase or not purchase it. If I want to have a few friends over for a Bar-B-Que in your front yard and you say NO. Should I scream that you are denying me and my friends of our right to free assembly guaranteed be the US constitution?

If you feel so strongly about this then you should delete Photoshop from your computers in protest and send it back to Adobe vowing to never purchase it again.

Jan 10, 2004 at 02:01 PM

Nagash
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p.3 #15 · Photoshop CS Adds Banknote Image Detection, Blocking?

I guess Mickey does not mind adobe including code from a third party that does who knows what.

What will they include next and not tell us about?

How can you trust adobe now?

I guess you dont mind becouse it doesnt impact you yet. I bet you would be screaming and hollering if it did impact you.

Lets say you bought that Bar-B-Que What if the Bar-B-Que detected that you were cooking Pork.

That Bar-B-Que doesnt allow you to cook pork so it refuses to turn on.

Would you be mad? Remember you already bought it. But the EULA and instruction didnt tell you you couldnt cook pork.

BTW some news stories are including that the EU is pushing all software/hardware to include this kind of blocking.

Remember I live in USA not the EU. Why should I have to abide by what they do over there.

Whatever happen to artistic extression?

A I guess I cant express it on Money.

Whats next?

Jan 10, 2004 at 04:53 PM

erikff
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p.3 #16 · Photoshop CS Adds Banknote Image Detection, Blocking?

Big Brother is a paranoid schizo that uses MY HDD space and system resources without telling me.... and he is daft enough to think that this will completely stop or deter the counterfeiters of the world .....

Be logical about this.... what can CS do to optimise a scanned banknote that version 7 cant do? or that Corel cant do? or that photopaint cant do?

If they are this stupid then all counterfeiters should install CS and use it as their alliby as they cant be the ones who did it as they have CS and CS really stops all bad people from doing bad things....

This has very little to do with Adobe or the Adobe Developer and everything to do with Big Brother......... Big Brother is watching.... Big Brother makes me puke!

E

Jan 10, 2004 at 07:38 PM

nanscombe
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p.3 #17 · Photoshop CS Adds Banknote Image Detection, Blocking?

Hi All,

Well I guess it is a good job that it is Adobe doing this, if it were Microsoft putting this functionality into the Kernel of Windows, then probably no software would be able to scan banknotes.

Regards
Nigel

Jan 10, 2004 at 08:19 PM

Sectarian
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p.3 #18 · Photoshop CS Adds Banknote Image Detection, Blocking?

I don't think couterfeiting Pork is a federal crime. BTW where is Big Brother's office located? This thread has really brought out the anarchist/conspiracy theorist/paranoiac crowd.

Jan 10, 2004 at 08:44 PM

Dominic
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p.3 #19 · Photoshop CS Adds Banknote Image Detection, Blocking?

Wow, there certainly is some steam being let off, in these messages.

What actually is the problem, it wont let you scan certain banknotes, i may be wrong but did'nt i read on this forum that if it caused you a problem to let adobe know.
Some posters have already found a way around it, some will try some will moan.

Surely if the product was bought to scan all things & as it has quite rightly been pointed out this product can't, & adobe did'nt it say it could'nt. could it not be returned because it is now no longer capable of the job it once was.

I love the whole conspiricy theory/big brother thing, but what really surprises me is the amount of posters that seem surprised @ what adobe have done, Could you really not see something like this coming & more, especially when you hear all the story's of people scanning all sorts of things for illegitimate purposes.

On the whole i agree that adobe should have said something about it but @ the end of the day it's a bloody good programme & it's been shown there's a way around it.

just my opinion dom.

Jan 10, 2004 at 10:25 PM

CyberDyne
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p.3 #20 · Photoshop CS Adds Banknote Image Detection, Blocking?

The trouble with the whole thing has little, if nothing to do with the fact that I have to go back to Version 7 for all my counterfieting needs,...

The issue is the bent idea that every peice of software that WE PAY for has to come with hidden resource hogging code that is used against us,. the buyers.

Forget the blocking of anything (dollar bills or Pork) for a second. Every time a peice of software is sold that include methods that can be used to spy on the purchaser,. we loose a little more of our own privacy.

If we were to spend tens of thousands on cars that unknown to us also contained other mechanisms within them,. that not only cost us $$$ becuase they effect the fuel economy of the car,. but they cost us as the mechanisms need to be produced, they need to be designed,. installed,. monitored etc... and all the while we are paying for it.

Forget what the mechanism does for a moment,. be it there to stop us from drunk driving,. or report where we are going at 2:00am on friday night.

The issue is WE are paying someone to ream us without our knowledge.

We PAID for the character recognition software in Photoshop.. WE did!

It's development, it's deployment,. all the meetings behind closed doors involving company officials who's salaries are payed for by the profits earned selling spyware to us,. the Bank execs who's riches are made collecting interest and fees off our money,. and the Feds who's salaries are paid from taxes on the income we use to buy Adobes damn software!

The days of Customer service and businesses caring at all about there customers are disolving anyway,. to help push things along with behind the scenes government espionage funded by the purchaser is just another aspect of the way the world is changing to exclude the averadge joe from ever getting what he has paid for.

huff puff pant hiss..

Jan 11, 2004 at 12:09 AM

Kyle Yates
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p.3 #21 · Photoshop CS Adds Banknote Image Detection, Blocking?

AS pointed out it's quite easy THIS TIME to get a work around -- or in any case just scan the banknote with any other scanning application on the planet such as paperport or whatever -- there are zillions out there.

What is essentially wrong with this is that we were NOT informed of the limitations of the programs before purchase. It's adobe's product and they can enable / disable features at will but in Laywers Speak it is encumbent on the manufacturer - in this case - adobe to specify what the product they are selling is, what it is capable of and what limitations on its use if any as we are license holders and not outright purchasers.

This particular limitation won't bother too many people I suspect as there are too many ways around this problem but Adobe didn't do themselves a service by not announcing this beforehand.

What worries me in all this is that more and more people seem to be employed in these types of operations ("Non productive Non jobs") ranging from whether Bananas have the correct curvature -- EU Commission -- to issuing parking attendants powers to fine drivers if they park exactly more than 50 CM from the edge of the road -- Tony Blair's Britain-- is that we will have fewer and fewer people earning money in actually generating wealth thereby reducing the whole quality of life for everbody. There are enough "Jobsworths" out there already without swelling their numbers -- what ever happened to being innocent before being proved guilty.

Finally a popular product over here is a toilet roll where the paper has images of 100 EURO notes. This is a fun product and is not illegal in anyway and these sorts of products will continue whatever the bankers say.

Anyway happy shooting everyone -- and don't take stuff lying done just because a few bankers are afraid of getting ripped off and come up with these rediculous laws that AFAIK haven't actually gone through parliament, congress etc etc.

Jan 11, 2004 at 10:37 AM

lziering
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p.3 #22 · Photoshop CS Adds Banknote Image Detection, Blocking?

Tim,
You have the right to remain silent...

Jan 11, 2004 at 03:37 PM

mhigh
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p.3 #23 · Photoshop CS Adds Banknote Image Detection, Blocking?

Try to print it. I heard that is when you will have the problem.

Jan 11, 2004 at 04:07 PM

Lance_K
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p.3 #24 · Photoshop CS Adds Banknote Image Detection, Blocking?

Well I just reported this "bug" to the Customer Service page of the Adobe Site.

A few choice words were left in my opinion of this issue.

Feel free to do the same at-
http://www.adobe.com/misc/bugreport.html

Jan 11, 2004 at 05:22 PM

krapul
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p.3 #25 · Photoshop CS Adds Banknote Image Detection, Blocking?

One more thing, for those who think Adobe is right for implementing this, since it's their product and ..etc;

All censorship related issues aside, how would you react if you'd discover (after the purchase) that your brand new car has this new anti speed device who makes it impossible to go over the legal limit.

would you be OK with that?

Jan 11, 2004 at 09:11 PM


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