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Despite
the threat of copyright infringement, major news agencies
in New York City do not use digital watermarks on the
photos they put on the Web.
The
Associated Press doesn't use a watermark because its
photos are published at such a low resolution on the Web,
says Richard Drew, an AP photographer in New York City who
works on AP's digital archive. Drew also said the watermark
would not stop theft. "People steal pictures and put them
on Web sites all the time," he says. In the electronic age,
sacrifices are necessary, he says. "In today's world, it's
hard to chase down photos and recover them," Drew says.
Like
the AP, the New York Times doesn't use watermarks for
the same reason of low resolution. However, the newspaper
does use a visible watermark for its digital archive of photos
that it sells on the Web.
Besides
the larger news organizations in the city, smaller ones have
taken to watermarks like a fish to water. Newscom,
a virtual photojournalism gallery based in Manhattan, uses
watermarks in its photo archive, Newscom spokeswoman Hilary
Johnson says.
"Especially
working with Web clients, it's necessary to have the watermarks,"
she says. Newscom sells photos to Internet sites, magazines,
newspapers and television shows. Clients register with the
company and are then able to browse Newscom's collection of
photos.
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