The SureSign Identity Code

The SureSign identifying code standard was originally devised to allow the unique identification of a creator/provider of a digital image and secondly, to provide a user-definable image reference which may be linked to a transaction, an archive record or a job number. Assigning a unique User ID which can be instantly traced back to a creator through a constantly updated index, was designed to overcome the problem of contacting photographers, illustrators or organisations who move base during their working lives. The User ID is conveniently brief and is an effective substitute for name, address, telephone, fax and URL details.

The SureSign identifying code has already been endorsed by a number of creator associations in Europe as an interim standard for identifying digital images, and is a basis for the model for the Visual Creators' Index. For further information please refer to the co-ordinator of the Visual Creators' Index project:

Code Structure
The SureSign identifying code format is composed of two elements:

1. The registered user's User ID which consists of six alpha-numeric characters to identify the creator/provider. The user's User ID is fixed and is defined and allocated by the Registry administrator. This scheme currently allows for 6,700,000 visual creators and is capable of being extended well into the future.

2. The Image ID, which consists of seven alpha-numeric characters, will allow each registered creator to uniquely identify up to 67,000,000 different images, image transactions or jobs. This element is fully user definable within the parameters of the code and may be used to refer to a database/archive record or, more usefully, to a job number or other client reference.

A typical registered user's User ID would, therefore, be 01-ZY-10 and a typical image ID would be PA00012. The combination of the two identifying elements (01-ZY-10-PA00012) forms the complete embedded code.

Alternative Uses For The SureSign Code
As well as being used for identifying digital images, the structured nature of the SureSign code means it is also useful for identifying non-digital photo-imaging material or even valuable property such as photographic equipment. Photographers can, for example, write their User IDs into the rebate of transparencies submitted to clients who should then be able to determine the owner when there is no other identifying information. Similarly, photo-finishing laboratories may also find the User ID of great help in identifying the owners of 'lost' films.