Digital Water Marks Thieves

[Dan Kaminsky]

Matt Crawford wrote:

>
> On Feb 15, 2005, at 12:40, R.A. Hettinga wrote:
>
>> Instant, is a property-marking fluid that, when
>> brushed on items like office equipment or motorcycles, tags them with
>> millions of tiny fragments, each etched with a unique SIN (SmartWater
>> identification number) that is registered with the owner's details on a
>> national police database and is invisible until illuminated by police
>> officers using ultraviolet light.
>
>
> That's amazing!  How do the tiny particles know that it's not a
> civilian illuminating them with ultraviolet light?
>
> And how does Wired reporter Robert Andrews fail to ask that question?

Why would it matter?

We leave fingerprints on everything we touch, but generally only LEO's
have access to the fingerprint DB's that can route back to identity.

I don't really understand the complaints here.  Is there something wrong
with luggage tags?  How 'bout writing your name in the corner of a
textbook?  Degenericizing property is sort of an inherent part of owning
it; note for instance that few homes are purchased fully furnished. 
Really the only concern I have is the effects on the Right of First
Sale, i.e. the ability as a purchaser to sell what you bought to someone
else.  Since "I bought it second hand" and "I stole it and sprayed my
own tagents on it" are similar across so many dimensions, I can imagine
EBay UK eventually having to deal with this head on.

--Dan


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