art encryption...

[John Young <jya@pipeline.com>]

Responding to msg by pierre@shell.portal.com (Pierre Uszynski) 
on Mon, 19 Sep  6:32 PM

>
>What would be ideal in all these cases is a 
>steganographic process that  would map to the whole as 
>much as to the parts. Fractal steganography.  In the 
>case of architectural drawings, a signature of the 
>original  architects would be embedded in small sets of 
>dimensions, in small sets  of proportions, in ways the 
>CAD language is used, in the background  details of 
>artwork, in the text included in drawings as well as in 
>CAD files comments and variable names... etc... In 
>summary in sufficiently  numerous and different places 
>that mechanical modification, or even  extensive manual 
>rework could still forget some instances of the 
>signature.

[Snip]

>But, for legal issues, how would that be different from 
>copyright  registration? Doesn't copyright registration 
>rely on the same  principle: a set of jurors will 
>determine what the chance is that
>this is the same work or not. This just provides tools 
>to fortify a  court case.


Pierre,

The fractal steganography sounds promising.  Is this yours or 
has it been done?

The need for authentic sigs on architectural and engineering 
drawings is not merely aesthetic.  Right now municipal agencies 
will not accept digital documents because of the lack of 
verifiable authorship to establish responsibility, and 
liability, for the health and safety of the design and 
construction.  Hard copy with original seal is required to 
prevent unauthorized manipulation.

Beyond copyright protection, architectural and engineering 
documents are means to guide actual construction, rather than 
end products like paintings and drawings in the art world.

If there could be a way for buildings themselves to convey 
authenticity, say, that they are healthy and safe, by a kind 
decryption by the public that could help prevent concealment of 
shoddy construction.  It's not the drawings that assure safety 
but field verification of the end result that construction work 
was done right.

What a great help if a building could convey its own message of 
authenticity about its fitness and safety for habitation and 
use.  That might keep us architects more honest.

Probably a long shot that your fractal idea could be stretched 
this far, but it is certainly needed in the flim flam world of 
New York City real estate where deception about building safety 
and health is all too common.

Any other thoughts?


John