Mysterious *dots* on film explained!

[furtech]

A while back, someone on my friends list was curious about what he thought were registration dots that were accidentally left in one frame (Willy Wonka, appearing around either the grandfather or Willy's head). Someone just explained to me that these are "anti-piracy" codes on all feature prints to identify -every- print with a unique serial number. Known as "CAP-codes" (CRAP-codes to angry film buffs), these are supposedly "invisible" to the normal eye and appear every fifteen minutes or so.
Here are some articles on the annoying things.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coded_Anti-Piracy

and also:

http://www.operationsombrero.com/Articles/Fatboy/pirates031118.htm

and here's a sample of the "invisible" dots...



Piracy is bad...but to further annoy the few remaining film-goers with this annoying code is ridiculous!

Comments

[nicodemusrat.livejournal.com]

I agree, those dots are not invisible. I've noticed it a number of times in recent movies. If your eyes happen to be in the right place, you can see the matrix of marks; otherwise, it's a momentary orange blur. What's the point of going for modern film clarity and digital whosawhatsits if the studios are going to deliberately deface their film?

And, the real question, are these codes actually good for anything? Are they reproduced on vidcam captures and useful in prosecution? Not only are they annoying but they might be useless to boot.

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Apparently they can be seen in the bootleg prints and uploaded camcorder recordings. I'm not sure what good that does them: it only lets them know what theater that bootleg was shot at.

[nicodemusrat.livejournal.com]

Well, that may make it easier to determine either where security is lax (for camcorders) or if there's an inside accomplice. But I've yet to hear of any case brought against a theater or any success tracking down the bootleggers. So, I guess I doubt that there's much payoff.