Logo
ScienceStack
Table of Contents
Fetching ...
Sign In

DataSafe: Copyright Protection with PUF Watermarking and Blockchain Tracking

Xiaolong Xue, Guangyong Shang, Zhen Ma, Minghui Xu, Hechuan Guo, Kun Li, Xiuzhen Cheng

TL;DR

DataSafe addresses digital copyright protection by uniting hardware‑rooted device fingerprints (PUFs) with blockchain‑registered ownership and in‑device, secure watermarking. Watermark embedding and extraction occur within trusted devices to prevent secret leakage during verification, while blockchain records provide auditable transfer history and enforce authentic ownership. The approach uses ECDSA signatures, LSB‑based watermarking with a configurable location key, and blockchain‑driven transfer markers to ensure traceability across multiple transfers. A working prototype on the LPC55S69‑EVK platform demonstrates practical feasibility, achieving high watermark imperceptibility (PSNR $\approx 55.4\ \mathrm{dB}$) and robust identity binding, suggesting a viable path toward tamper‑resistant, verifiable digital copyright management.

Abstract

Digital watermarking methods are commonly used to safeguard digital media copyrights by confirming ownership and deterring unauthorized use. However, without reliable third-party oversight, these methods risk security vulnerabilities during watermark extraction. Furthermore, digital media lacks tangible ownership attributes, posing challenges for secure copyright transfer and tracing. This study introduces DataSafe, a copyright protection scheme that combines physical unclonable functions (PUFs) and blockchain technology. PUF devices use their unique fingerprints for blockchain registration. Subsequently, these devices incorporate invisible watermarking techniques to embed digital watermarks into media for copyright protection. The watermark verification process is confined within the devices, preserving confidentiality during extraction, validating identities during copyright exchanges, and facilitating blockchain-based traceability of copyright transfers. The implementation of a prototype system on the LPC55S69-EVK development board is detailed, illustrating the practicality and effectiveness of the proposed solution.

DataSafe: Copyright Protection with PUF Watermarking and Blockchain Tracking

TL;DR

DataSafe addresses digital copyright protection by uniting hardware‑rooted device fingerprints (PUFs) with blockchain‑registered ownership and in‑device, secure watermarking. Watermark embedding and extraction occur within trusted devices to prevent secret leakage during verification, while blockchain records provide auditable transfer history and enforce authentic ownership. The approach uses ECDSA signatures, LSB‑based watermarking with a configurable location key, and blockchain‑driven transfer markers to ensure traceability across multiple transfers. A working prototype on the LPC55S69‑EVK platform demonstrates practical feasibility, achieving high watermark imperceptibility (PSNR ) and robust identity binding, suggesting a viable path toward tamper‑resistant, verifiable digital copyright management.

Abstract

Digital watermarking methods are commonly used to safeguard digital media copyrights by confirming ownership and deterring unauthorized use. However, without reliable third-party oversight, these methods risk security vulnerabilities during watermark extraction. Furthermore, digital media lacks tangible ownership attributes, posing challenges for secure copyright transfer and tracing. This study introduces DataSafe, a copyright protection scheme that combines physical unclonable functions (PUFs) and blockchain technology. PUF devices use their unique fingerprints for blockchain registration. Subsequently, these devices incorporate invisible watermarking techniques to embed digital watermarks into media for copyright protection. The watermark verification process is confined within the devices, preserving confidentiality during extraction, validating identities during copyright exchanges, and facilitating blockchain-based traceability of copyright transfers. The implementation of a prototype system on the LPC55S69-EVK development board is detailed, illustrating the practicality and effectiveness of the proposed solution.
Paper Structure (15 sections, 2 equations, 7 figures)

This paper contains 15 sections, 2 equations, 7 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Related Work
  3. Device Fingerprinting with PUF
  4. Copyright Protection with Digital Watermarking
  5. Data Protection with Blockchain
  6. DataSafe Design
  7. Overview
  8. PUF-based Device Registration
  9. Copyright Registration and Transfer
  10. Copyright Registration
  11. Copyright Transfer
  12. Embedding and Extraction of Watermarks
  13. Blockchain-based Copyright Tracing
  14. Prototype Implementation
  15. Conclusion

Figures (7)

  • Figure 1: DataSafe architecture
  • Figure 2: Workflow of copyright registration
  • Figure 3: Workflow of copyright transfer
  • Figure 4: Watermark embedding and location key matching
  • Figure 5: Wiring diagram of DataSafe
  • ...and 2 more figures