Self-validating branch-based software watermarking

Software protection is an area of active research in which a variety of techniques have been developed to address the issue. Examples of such techniques are software watermarking, code obfuscation, and tamper detection. In this paper we present a novel dynamic software watermarking algorithm which incorporates ideas from code obfuscation and tamper detection. Our technique simultaneously provides proof of ownership and the capability to trace the source of the illegal redistribution. It additionally provides a solution for distributing pre-packaged, fingerprinted software which is linked to the consumer. Our technique is specific to programs compiled for the x86 Intel architecture, however, we have proposed an extension for use on Java bytecode.