Buccy
14th January 2004, 10:23 AM
Link: http://www.imagingiq.com/news/767-ImagingIQ_News.html
Adobe admits Photoshop has anti-counterfeiting code
Users say they are angered by Adobe’s failure to notify them that code aimed at preventing currency counterfeiting was added to Photoshop’s latest release.
By Joanne Cummings
Adobe Photoshop users uncovered a surprise late last week – new code within the software aimed at preventing currency counterfeiting actually slows down the application and, in some cases, prevents users from doing legitimate projects.
A posting to the Adobe Photoshop user forum titled, “No wonder Photoshop CS Seems Slow - It's Analyzing Images For Content!” detailed the problem, saying “We received a TIFF image from a customer of a $20 bill. The image does *not* violate any laws regarding reproduction of currency (it's not even close to actual-size, and it's not a "flat" portrayal - it's wavy, as if it's fluttering in the wind. Nor is it real-color.) However, Photoshop CS refuses to open the image and provides an error message regarding the (il)legality of currency reproduction and an "information" button that takes you to the Web.”
Adobe admitted that it had added the counterfeiting-prevention technology, which works for U.S. dollars, Euros and other currencies, at the request of government and banking agencies, and said it was considering adding it to other products.
The move angered some users who see the technology as an unnecessary breach of user privacy. Many have posted workarounds, including using previous Photoshop releases and even scanning images into scanning applications and then cutting and pasting them into Photoshop CS for further manipulation.
But beyond the productivity hit, most say the biggest problem with the new code is that Adobe never informed users of the addition. One comment to the forum said, “Has it occurred to anyone that even if Adobe apologizes and makes a patch available for this, that you still don't know what else is in there?”
Adobe could not be reached for comment by press time.
:am:
Adobe admits Photoshop has anti-counterfeiting code
Users say they are angered by Adobe’s failure to notify them that code aimed at preventing currency counterfeiting was added to Photoshop’s latest release.
By Joanne Cummings
Adobe Photoshop users uncovered a surprise late last week – new code within the software aimed at preventing currency counterfeiting actually slows down the application and, in some cases, prevents users from doing legitimate projects.
A posting to the Adobe Photoshop user forum titled, “No wonder Photoshop CS Seems Slow - It's Analyzing Images For Content!” detailed the problem, saying “We received a TIFF image from a customer of a $20 bill. The image does *not* violate any laws regarding reproduction of currency (it's not even close to actual-size, and it's not a "flat" portrayal - it's wavy, as if it's fluttering in the wind. Nor is it real-color.) However, Photoshop CS refuses to open the image and provides an error message regarding the (il)legality of currency reproduction and an "information" button that takes you to the Web.”
Adobe admitted that it had added the counterfeiting-prevention technology, which works for U.S. dollars, Euros and other currencies, at the request of government and banking agencies, and said it was considering adding it to other products.
The move angered some users who see the technology as an unnecessary breach of user privacy. Many have posted workarounds, including using previous Photoshop releases and even scanning images into scanning applications and then cutting and pasting them into Photoshop CS for further manipulation.
But beyond the productivity hit, most say the biggest problem with the new code is that Adobe never informed users of the addition. One comment to the forum said, “Has it occurred to anyone that even if Adobe apologizes and makes a patch available for this, that you still don't know what else is in there?”
Adobe could not be reached for comment by press time.
:am: