The existing block-based approaches, albeit successful in resisting
frequency domain attacks, are sensitive to geometric distortions due to the lack
of reference in repositioning the block grid. In this paper an RST-invariant
block-based approach is proposed, aiming at protecting image objects. The term
“image object” refers to semantically contiguous parts of images that have a
specific contour boundary. The proposed approach is based on shape information,
since the watermark is embedded in image blocks, the location and orientation
of which are defined by Eulerian tours that are appropriately arranged in
layers, around an object’s robust skeleton. Images from the Polymathic project
are used to illustrate the technique.