Watermarks

[TSPhoenix]

I have a question, why does A-N watermark images?

Having been a webmaster briefly I had to contend with the issue of watermarking images and decided that they were pointless, I would just like to know why A-N feels that it is necessary to use them.

For game art and so on people will clearly be able to find watermark-free copies should they look hard enough, but why make them look when they already downloaded the pic from here, except with a watermark. Its not like A-N created it so why is it necessary to label it as your own.

Being part of the media I assume A-N would get press packages including clean high-res images for this kind of stuff, so is the watermarking part of some kind of press agreement that you can't redistribute press material?

[Jebus]

I guess it's there to show the source of the image for when people may use or show it elsewhere. Also, it may be there to stop the E-baum's World of gaming sites stealing information and pictures from here, instead of working to get it like normal news sites do.

[TSPhoenix]

While leeching is a problem, I don't know why companies even care if their press releases are made publicly availiabe, its free advertising, they should give the stuff to everyone.

[Captain]

Many reasons and you've touched on a couple.

[TSPhoenix]

Are they reasons you can discuss?

[Krysinello]

Possibly legal issues, we should just leave it at that.

[Saq]

Well lets see, if i watermarked the nintendo logo, and showed nintendo what i did in an email attachment, do you think they would be too happy? I definatly wouldnt do anything like that, but it's an example of what is yours and whats not yours.

Like what Rev_Pioneer does with his sigs, watermarkering that same image onto his sigs to show it's his work, but the characters are not. IE: Pikachu, Bowser, Mario etc.

[TSPhoenix]

Well lets see, if i watermarked the nintendo logo, and showed nintendo what i did in an email attachment, do you think they would be too happy? I definatly wouldnt do anything like that, but it's an example of what is yours and whats not yours.

Like what Rev_Pioneer does with his sigs, watermarkering that same image onto his sigs to show it's his work, but the characters are not. IE: Pikachu, Bowser, Mario etc.

That's exactly my take.

Konami clearly doesn't care about the distribution of its art, so I wonder why other companies seem to, or at least that is the impression Captain is giving.
http://www.konami.com/gs/pr/

I'm not exactly fighting for the removal of the watermarks, I just want a small explaination, as while Krysinello is intent with dropping the subject, I'm just inquisitive and tenacious.

[Captain]

Its quite obvious.

Many companies are very strict on the usage of their original assets. We're very limited as to how far we can go with using them. Essentially what we're doing by watermarking is protecting ourselves - should we become a source of original and protected art, then it places our future in jeopardy. Just because many people get the idea that its acceptible to freely manipulate artwork doesn't mean it is.

[TSPhoenix]

Its quite obvious.

Many companies are very strict on the usage of their original assets. We're very limited as to how far we can go with using them. Essentially what we're doing by watermarking is protecting ourselves - should we become a source of original and protected art, then it places our future in jeopardy. Just because many people get the idea that its acceptible to freely manipulate artwork doesn't mean it is.

Thanks for the answer, I suspected that to be the case. Now that I have my answer I guess you can close the thread now.