Patent ID: 7616778

Claim:
A method for selectively inserting a digital watermark into a visual rendering by an image processing device, comprising the steps of: receiving an image processing request including image data representative of an associated document; receiving image processing criteria data corresponding to processing of the associated document, the processing criteria including a selection of a scan, print and copy of the document; populating a repository in the associated memory with data representative of at least one watermark; determining, via a processor operation in connection with instructions disposed in an associated memory, from the received image processing request, whether a watermark is to be inserted into a visual rendering of the associated document; determining, via the processor, in accordance with a type of image data, a pre-selected watermark that corresponds to received criteria data and whether a watermark is to be inserted into the visual rendering of the associated document; retrieving a selected watermark from the associated memory in the event of a positive determination from either determining step; and generating a visual rendering of the associated document, wherein the visual rendering includes the image date representative of the associated document and the selected watermark.