An ROI-Based Watermarking Technique for Image Content Recovery Robust Against JPEG

The paper proposes a method for image content recovery based on digital watermarking. Existing image watermarking systems detect the tampering and can identify the exact positions of tampered regions, but only a few systems can recover the original image content. In this paper, we suggest a method for recovering the regions of interest (ROIs). It embeds the semi-fragile watermark resistant to JPEG compression (for the quality parameter values greater than or equal to the predefined threshold) and such local tamperings as splicing, copy-move, and retouching, whereas is destroyed by any other image modifications. In the experimental part, the performance of the method is shown on the road traffic JPEG images where the ROIs correspond to car license plates. The method is proven to be an efficient tool for recovering the original ROIs and can be integrated into any JPEG semi-fragile watermarking system.