Digital asset management, targeted searching and desktop searching using digital watermarks

A desktop searching tool comprising:

• executable instructions stored in computer memory for execution by electronic processing circuitry, said instructions comprising instructions to:
• i. search one or more computer directories for imagery or audio files;
• ii. upon discovery of an imagery or audio file, analyze the file for a digital watermark embedded therein, and if a digital watermark is embedded therein to, recover a plural-bit identifier;
• iii. obtain metadata from the imagery or audio file;
• and
• iv. query a remote database with the plural-bit identifier to determine whether the file metadata is current.

A method of controlling a desktop searching tool comprising:

• searching one or more computer directories for imagery or audio files;
• upon discovery of an imagery or audio file, analyzing the file for a digital watermark embedded therein, and if a digital watermark is embedded therein, recovering a plural-bit identifier carried by the digital watermark;
• obtaining metadata from the imagery or audio file;
• and
• querying a remote database with the plural-bit identifier to determine whether the file metadata is current.

A method of searching a network for watermarked content comprising:

• receiving one or more keywords associated with watermarked content;
• providing the one or more keywords to a network search engine;
• obtaining from the network search engine a listing of URLs that are associated with the one or more keywords;
• analyzing content at websites associated with the URLs for digital watermarking;
• obtaining at least one watermark identifier from the digital watermarking;
• and
• reporting at least one watermark identifier and a corresponding URL location.