When Thomas Eriksson had discovered the solution, he could hardly believe it himself. After all, there is almost no technology that hasn’t already been invented in some form or another. But here he was, sitting in his summer cottage with the outlines for an invention which could protect digital images in four ways:
- The technology proves the ownership - who owns the image?
- The technology protects the burden of proof - who shared the photo?
- The technology works on smartphones - it can be used by anyone and does not require special IT skills.
- The technology complies with GDPR - it is not necessary to share the image with the technology platform to protect it - this happens without the image leaving your device.
Yet, Thomas Eriksson didn't know that at the time. Back then, he was simply appalled that a friend was a victim of image abuse, her ex-boyfriend had shared intimate photos of her and kept doing so. Over and over again.
“I was convinced that there had to be an app that could solve this. But I found nothing. Instead, I discovered that the scale of the problem is gigantic. In the United States alone there are 45 million registered violations, and that figure is expected to be five-ten times higher, as many of those who are violated are embarrassed and therefore don’t report the cases,” Thomas Eriksson says.
Quit and apply for a patent
It nagged him for a few months and eventually he decided to spend a weekend at a summer cottage to figure out if there was anything he could do. If not, then at least he had tried.
“I didn't sleep for two days. But on Sunday night an idea came to me and when I called an acquaintance, who I've sparred with about various ideas in the past and who is an expert in the field, I knew I was onto something. He argued that I should quit my job and apply for an international patent based on the idea,” recalls Thomas Eriksson, who is a serial entrepreneur and used to considering things from unusual angles.
And from there it's picked up. He spent the first year trying to flesh out his idea and, among other things, visiting the big tech houses and finding out whether they were interested in the technology. He’s likewise attended a closed meeting in LA with the world's 70 largest licensing directors from e.g., Disney, Universal and Paramount, who’s task it is to secure copyright on movies and television.
“They too were absolutely wild about the idea, and from there it simply went berserk a year or so ago,” says Thomas Eriksson, who founded the tech company SASHA (short for Safe Share).
Technology with grand perspectives
The ground-breaking feature of the technology is that SASHA can protect images without viewing or saving them, thus ensuring complete privacy for the user and, moreover, complying with GDPR standards for data security. The technology will be able to run on the user's own devices, such as a phone or computer, and the images can therefore be protected without these leaving the device.
The prospects are great: The technology can protect both private and public images — even if AI manipulates the images e.g. And can thereby expose identity theft, fakes, and digital violations, making it possible to hold violators accountable, which is virtually impossible today. But with great prospects comes along a great need to protect one's idea.
“Three years ago, when I realized what I had invented, I called Patrade and said that I needed a patent as soon as possible. After all, this is a matter of life and death; if someone manages to copy or patent my idea, it’s all lost,” says Thomas Eriksson, who greatly appreciates the collaboration with Patrade.
“They dropped everything they were holding at the time, and have throughout the entire process, operated at the necessary speed for us to execute in due time. For it goes without saying that a patent must be established at at least the same speed as inventions develop. And it has worked ideally,” he says.
The technology - how it works
“Our patented technology inserts breadcrumbs into an image that tells who owns the image and who shared it — right down to the version level. Hence, if you send the same image to 1,000 people, our technology can then detect which of the 1,000 has leaked the image without consent,” explains Thomas.
