Watermark Remover is a new tool created by PixelBin that has only one mission: to remove watermarks from copyrighted images easily and free of charge.
Creator of online graphics tools, PixelBin, recently sparked controversy by launching a new tool. Called Watermark Remover, it is based on artificial intelligence and allows anyone to remove watermarks from any image previously submitted to its servers.
This tool has very few limitations. We can see, for example, that it supports png, jpeg, jpg or even webp, the most popular formats on the web today. It can also resize very large images, up to 2400 x 2400 pixels. And as a bonus, it’s available as an Android app. Everything is free. Problem ? In fact, it has only one purpose: to pirate images, allowing users to automatically destroy watermarks, one of the last obstacles to stealing their creations from artists.
Nothing new under the sun
Autocomplete images is nothing new. A similar tool that analyzes the context of an image to remove detail from an image with a few clicks, for example, has been available in Adobe Photoshop for a very long time. However, this is the first time that AI has been trained for this exact purpose and the tool has been so easily available to anyone on the internet.
What about the legality of such a product? PixelBin is clearly aware of this, as the Watermark Remover website answers the question “Is it legal to remove a watermark from images?” with a more than concise statement:
“Watermarks are often seen as an effective copyright protection mechanism. However, the aesthetics of the images deteriorate in the process, prompting people to look for a way to cleanly remove them. Users can remove watermarks at their discretion, but we suggest that they do not do so for commercial purposes and do not remove watermarks from copyrighted images. Users of this application are solely responsible for any claims, damages, costs, expenses, legal actions, etc. initiated by a third party in connection with the use of images resulting from the removal of watermarks. You must obtain the consent or approval of the owner of the original image before using unwatermarked images for commercial purposes. »
This is the essence of the problem. Since artificial intelligence is not illegal per se, the service can simply place the responsibility for its use on the users themselves. Ironically, Watermark Remover offers businesses a premium plan to remove watermarks from image packs.
The release of this new tool comes under the worst of circumstances. A graphic creation created by AIs such as OpenAI’s DALL-E or Midjourney worries artists: although these AIs learn from their creations, they are still already seen as a tool that can steal much of their professional capabilities. If, at the same time, automatic watermark removal, one of the few effective measures to protect the works of these rights holders from piracy, is developed, there will be little opportunity for creative people to receive remuneration for their work.
A source :
edge
Maxim “OtaXou” Lancelin-Golbury