Yes, this was an April Fools joke! Although it is possible to implement parts of this theoretical technology for tracking the usage of photos, Camera Bits is not in this type of "business" (that is being handled by others). But don't be surprised if someone else has thought of this first or even implemented it! There are already "filters" for analyzing the content of photos when they are opened, so what would stop a "Here I Am" type of technology from being implemented?

The original announcement appears below:

Camera Bits Announces Revolutionary Photo Tracking Solution

Portland, OR, April 1, 2005 - Camera Bits is proud to announce today a breakthrough technology called “Here I Am” for tracking photo usage. Using a unique mixture of peer-to-peer (P2P) and anti-virus technologies, photos can be embedded with a small program that will track the usage of the photo. The photo will then report statistics back to its creator about who is using the photo and how the photo is being used. Using the “Big Brother” tracking tool included with the “Here I Am” solution, the creator can easily monitor usage reports to ensure that their copyrights are being honored, and quickly determine who is infringing upon their copyrights for subsequent legal action.

The “Here I Am” approach differs from other Digital Rights Management (DRM) techniques such as encryption and watermarking. Not only do encryption techniques hinder the legitimate use of photos (and other types of media), they are prone to cracking as demonstrated by the infamous “DVD Jon” with the breaking of the DVD encryption code, and more recently the FairPlay DRM technology used by Apple for its iTunes store. And unlike watermarks which are passive and require the creator to search for misuse on web pages or in print, photos embedded with the “Here I Am” technology actively report usage - a much more efficient process for monitoring copyright compliance.

Although “Here I Am” was designed for enforcing copyrights, the technology has been used in beta testing for tracking photos of prisoner abuse, and by the Michael Jackson defense team for tracking photos of guests visiting the Neverland Valley Ranch. The “Here I Am” technology has also been approved by the Department of Homeland Insecurity, and is not subject to any potential ruling by the US Supreme Court regarding P2P restrictions since it is based-upon the trusted IEEE-1984 standard.

For more information about this revolutionary technology, please visit the Camera Bits website on April 2nd.