by AI is causing all sorts of trouble for the creative community, with theft from human artists being one of the biggest issues. But a new service appearing on Product Hunt is a copyright nightmare in a different way, because this technology, called WatermarkRemover.io, promises to remove watermarks from photos for free.
When a photo is out in the wild online, watermarks are often the only thing protecting a photographer’s work. So the arrival of the free tool that can remove them is a cause for great concern among the creative community – and it raises many questions about what the future holds for the regulation of AI technology. This is definitely not going to be added to our list of best photo apps anytime soon.
I really do not understand anymore.Where are we headed? pic.twitter.com/ALzHDFNZ4AJanuary 24, 2023
The Product Search page (opens in a new tab) shared by designer-known Tobias van Schneider (opens in a new tab) on Twitter, with the comment “I don’t really understand anymore. Where are we going?”, and as a result many artists and designers examine the situation incredulously.
As van Schneider says, the ability to do this is now a relatively simple part of technology. Just like you can erase unwanted objects or people from the background of your photo with the content-aware tool on Photoshop, or the magic eraser on Google Pixel phones, the AI fills in the gaps left by the part of the photo unwanted – and in the case of this tool, that’s a watermark.
But is this legal? Well, it is illegal in the US to remove a watermark without the consent of the original owner, according to the US Copyright Act Section 1202 (opens in a new tab). So if you don’t have that consent, in most cases it won’t be legal to use this tool. But the laws regarding the situation are murky depending on where you are located and what you are using it for. (Note: We are not here to give legal advice.)
As the tool itself is not illegal, the onus is on the user to abide by the rules so the app maker has no worries. Within the comments section of the product, they said: “Due to the freedom to remove watermarks, we recommend that our users do not remove watermarks from the images for commercial use. However using images without a watermark with for personal use is completely acceptable.”
In addition, the FAQ on the website states that users should not “remove the watermark of copyrighted images” and that you must obtain permission from the original owner before removing any watermark before using it for for commercial use.
Something strange sits, then, as the video above proudly demonstrates how the tool erases multiple ‘copyright’ stamps in a flurry. It is a mind-boggling watch.
It’s important to note that there are viable use cases for this technology – if you have the original owner’s consent but no original file that doesn’t have a watermark, for example. But the whole situation is fraught with creative ethical and moral concerns, many of which are shared in this conversation over on a van. Schneider’s Twitter thread (opens in a new tab).
There are many concerns about how easily the technology can be misused. “More like. Remove watermarks from licensed images so you can use them without paying the fee,” and “in this case this obvious app use case is copyright infringement” are just two of the related comments , with another voice agreeing that “among many blurred lines in AI and copyright right now, this is not one of them.”
Amidst the outrage, there is one dissenting voice. “Water signs are worthless, they serve no purpose, and your work is worth less,” they say. “The tools to overcome your (stupid) water sign only get stronger every day. Create work that speaks for itself and makes consumers demand its source”. But how this actually plays out for creatives who work hard to make a living and stay afloat in an increasingly difficult online landscape is another matter.
AI technology wants strong, clear regulation. Currently, no one is really sure what is allowed and what is not, as was recently proven when a user was suspended on Reddit for posting their own AI artwork. Although equally questionable, NFTs are at least a record of ownership. Hopefully there will be a similar solution for AI soon.
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