Adobe Says It Uses Anti-Counterfeiting Technology

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

-----Original Message-----
From: N Sashikumar <sashi () civil iisc ernet in>
Date: Sat, 10 Jan 2004 11:17:26 
To:Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Cc:ip () v2 listbox com
Subject: Adobe Says It Uses Anti-Counterfeiting Technology


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A4798-2004Jan9.html

Adobe Says It Uses Anti-Counterfeiting Technology 

By Ted Bridis
Associated Press
Saturday, January 10, 2004; Page E03 


Adobe Systems Inc. acknowledged yesterday it had added technology to its 
popular Photoshop graphics software at the request of government 
regulators and bankers to prevent consumers from making copies of the 
world's major currencies.

Adobe, the world's leading vendor for graphics software, said the 
technology, which generates a warning message when someone tries to make 
digital copies of some currencies, "would have minimal impact on honest 
customers."

The technology was designed recently by the Central Bank Counterfeit 
Deterrence Group, a consortium of 27 central banks in the United States, 
Japan, Canada and Europe. 

"We sort of knew this would come out eventually," Adobe spokesman Russell 
Brady said. "We can't really talk about the technology itself."

Rival graphics software by Taiwan-based Ulead Systems Inc. also blocks 
customers from making copies of currency.

Experts said the decision by Adobe represents one of the rare occasions 
when the U.S. technology industry has agreed to include third-party 
software code into commercial products at the request of government and 
finance officials.

Adobe revealed it added the technology after a customer complained in an 
online support forum about mysterious behavior by the new $649 "Photoshop 
CS" software when opening an image of a $20 bill.

Angry customers have filled Adobe's Internet message boards with 
complaints about censorship and concerns over future restrictions on other 
types of images, such as copyrighted or adult material.

"This shocks me," said Stephen M. Burns, president of the Photoshop users 
group in San Diego. "Artists don't like to be limited in what they can do 
with their tools. Let the U.S. government or whoever is involved deal with 
this, but don't take the powers of the government and place them into a 
commercial software package."

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© 2004 The Washington Post Company








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