A signature method for image data using partial scrambling with the generalized Peano scan

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We introduce a signature method which uses partial scrambling to implement the concept of active copyright protection. Active copyright protection prevents the dishonest copying of multimedia by attaching to copyrighted information in the distributed contents a confirming signature, which can be removed only by a user acting in a legitimate process. In this method, the identifying signature, which scrambles a section of the image data, is called the logmark. From it, the image data of the document can be identified as the user's. In this paper, the generalized Peano scan serves as the concealing function in the scrambling method, guaranteeing security. We consider the effectiveness of this technique both as a copyright protection method, since by its construction it alters the image data, and in terms of its ability to permit the removal of the signature. © 1999 Scripta Technica, Syst Comp Jpn, 31(1): 20–29, 2000