Patent ID: 6948069

Claim:
A system for maintaining trust in content of a digital image file, comprising: a trusted time source to provide a certifiable time for an unalterable time stamp, wherein said certifiable time confirms at least one of said digital image file's access, creation, modification, receipt, or transmission; means for receiving said request to save said digital image file from a user; first means for saving said digital image file at a moment in time; means for retrieving from said trusted time source a date and a time corresponding to said moment in time, wherein said moment in time is substantially current time of said trusted time source corresponding to receipt of said request; first means for appending said date and said time retrieved from said trusted time source to said digital image file; first means for signing said digital image file with said date and said time retrieved from said trusted time source appended thereto; means for hashing said digital image file to produce a digest; second means for signing said digest with a key to produce a certificate; second means for appending said certificate to said digital image file; second means for saving said digital image file with said certificate appended thereto; means for modifying said digital image file with said certificate appended thereto into a modified digital image file, wherein said modifying includes at least one of converting or enhancing; third means for appending said digital image file with said certificate appended thereto to said modified digital image file; and means for verifying trust in the content of said digital image file with said certificate appended thereto.