The game-changer AI watermark removal tool is here
A free service that can entirely erase watermarks from photographs may soon aggravate the already tense relationship between AI and the creative sector.
Since it was published on Product Hunt last year, Watermark Remover.io, a program provided by Pixelbin.io eliminates recognizable watermarks with a single click.
However, similar programs exist where you can also erase watermarks using features like Adobe Photoshop’s content-aware fill, and Watermark Remover.io’s capability isn’t entirely new.
These, however, aren’t as easy to use as Watermark Remover.io, which is entirely free, accessible on the web and as an Android app, and completes the task with a single click.
The technology is especially intriguing in light of how AI is reshaping the creative sectors, including stock picture firms that rely on watermarks to safeguard their property.
Adobe Stock has welcomed the technology by accepting AI-generated material for sale on its site, while the world’s largest stock picture provider Shutterstock recently unveiled its text-to-image converter based on OpenAI’s DALL-E 2.
This is despite complaints from creatives that their work is frequently stolen off the internet without their permission or payment to train the same algorithms.
Large watermarks are added to the content on websites like Shutterstock and Adobe Stock to stop it from being used without authorization.
These businesses could be okay with AI as long as it helps them make money, but they probably won’t be as happy if it is used to steal their property, while Watermark Remover.io made it possible for us to achieve that very easily.
In some tests, Watermark Remover.io successfully removed the watermark applied by Shutterstock and Adobe Stock in a couple of seconds with little to no artifacts behind.
Additionally, it was successful in eliminating Shutterstock’s huge, single watermarks from its preview pictures, albeit it was unsuccessful in doing so in a manner akin to Getty’s.
In fact, out of the three stock picture providers, Getty’s watermark proved to be the most resistant to automated removal programs.
Watermark Remover.io has some restrictions, of course. It also had trouble erasing the artist signatures that occasionally show on generative photos in addition to the single, blockier watermarks.
While it is prohibited in the US to remove a watermark without the owner’s permission, programs like Watermark Remover.io that help users get around copyright restrictions may not be inherently unlawful.
There have been proposals for the implementation of clearer regulation due to the complicated legal environment that currently surrounds AI and copyright laws.
In an FAQ, the developers of Watermark Remover.io address the issue of its legality, stating that users of the app are solely responsible for any claims, damages, costs, expenses, lawsuits, etc. brought by any third party regarding the usage of the resulting images after the watermarks have been removed.
Before using watermark-removed photographs for any commercial purpose, you must have the owner of the original image’s permission or authorization.
The Watermark Remover, however, is ultimately another fascinating illustration of how AI can be applied to both damage and aid various sectors of the market.