Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

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Digital DNA could expose Harry Potter leaker

The source behind a version of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that was leaked online could be traced through digital DNA, British computer experts suggest.

London, July 20 : The source behind a version of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" that was leaked online could be traced through digital DNA, British computer experts suggest.

The last and the final instalment of JK Rowling's best-seller series was leaked recently to the internet. The leaker carefully photographed every page in the book and posted those images on the web where most of them are clearly readable.

However, according to experts at Canon, an imaging company, the identity of the person who leaked the book could be exposed by tracing the digital camera that was used.

On the whole, the critical information contained in each photo, known as Exchangeable Image File Format (Exif) data, revealed that the camera used was a Canon Rebel 350, and experts have revealed that that Canon knows the serial number of the particular camera that was used. According to a post on digg.com, the serial number of the camera that was used to photograph the book pages from the unpublished Harry Potter was 560151117.

"In theory, we can find out which country the camera was sold in and in turn the warranty and service centre records in that country could be checked. It would take a lot of work, but there's a good chance they could find him or her," Timesonline quoted Vic Solomon, a product intelligence officer at Canon's UK head office, as saying.

"From what we know, the device is one of the original Rebel cameras, probably a 350D, and given that they've been out for three years, it's likely the owner would have had it cleaned or repaired in that time," he added.

The serial number would not only reveal the country where the camera was sold, but it might even identify the exact store that sold it, according to Canon's head office in Japan.

Further, because the Canon Rebel 350 is three years old, it has probably been serviced at least once since it was purchased, in which case the owner's name would be known because the serial number and owner are logged together when a camera is serviced.

Every digital camera image contains Exif data, which provides important information about the picture such as zoom, contrast, focus and 'distance to subject' measurements. This data is helpful as it enables a court, for instance, to determine if a picture has been digitally altered.

"The Exif data is like the picture's DNA; you can't switch it off. Every image has it. Some software can be used to strip or edit the information, but you can't edit every field," Solomon said.

If identified, the person who photographed the Harry Potter novel could be found guilty of copyright infringement, but would be unlikely to face criminal charges because the photos appear not to have been published for commercial gain, lawyers said.

"If Bloomsbury were to pursue an action, it would more likely be a civil case, in which case any damages would be assessed according to the loss in book sales," said Mark Owen, an intellectual property partner at the London firm Harbottle and Lewis.

ANI