Valuables registry MyThings uses LTU Image-Seeker to identify stolen property;
Technology Key in Identifying Nazi Era Looted Art
Paris - May 04, 2007 - Identifying works of art looted during the Nazi period is one of the focuses of a new technology platform powered by LTU technologies for MyThings (www.mythings.com), the international registry of valuables. LTU has announced that the recent expanded deployment includes an upgraded visual search facility for MyThings, which has been an LTU customer since 2005.
"MyThings (formerly called Swift-Find) incorporates LTU technology in its Trace service (www.trace.com) which includes the world's largest cross-category international database of stolen valuables," said Ken Bouche, Vice President of Trace. Law enforcement, the art market, second-hand traders, and individuals use the Trace service to report stolen property and to avoid the trade of stolen goods. Trace's decision to expand its use of LTU Image-Seeker follows two years of successful experience in identifying stolen property before it is bought or sold. The LTU Image-Seeker technology used in Trace visual search is also used by major government and law enforcement agencies throughout the world.
"MyThings also developed Trace Looted Art (www.tracelootedart.com), which includes the largest international online database of Nazi era looted art and is constantly being checked against objects for sale by dealers and auction houses," Bouche said.
As with Trace's other search services, Trace Looted Art allows users to initiate a search against the database by uploading a picture of an object. LTU's Image-Seeker technology compares the picture with items in the database. For example, a photo of a missing painting may be submitted as a search query, and the system will display items in the valuables registry whose photographs are similar to the query image. The new deployment for Trace allows refining and limiting searches to particular categories of objects.
"Given the international nature of its objective - and the increasing use of digital photographic evidence in these investigations, MyThings has made an astute and timely move to expand and enhance visual search for all of its registration and investigation activities," said Chahab Nastar, CEO of LTU technologies. "Because textual data associated with stolen objects may be unreliable or even falsified, visual search and identification is an important supplement to text searches. And visual search is truly international, not limited to the keywords of a particular language."
"The Trace database, with both textual and advanced visual search capabilities, is a critical tool for verifying ownership of valuable property, and is free to individuals and the law enforcement community," said Bouche. He added, "Among our commercial users are the world's top four auction houses, which represent more than 80% of the value of the auction market. They demand the most advanced search technologies, which is why we have expanded our use of LTU Image-Seeker."
About MyThings Inc
MyThings Inc offers MyThings (mythings.com) and Trace (trace.com), two unique services designed to help people extract the most value from their belongings. MyThings is a consumer web service that provides private, online portfolios to its members for managing their belongings, as well as tools to access relevant information and services, including valuations, accessories, insurance, and warranties. MyThings serves as a trusted intermediary between buyers and sellers, delivering desired information without compromising the privacy of consumers or subjecting them to intrusive messages.
Trace is MyThings' online database of lost and stolen valuables and the most diverse global registry of lost and stolen items, ranging from art and antiques, to jewellery, watches, and consumer electronics. Trace integrates information from over 50 sources, including local, national, and international law enforcement, as well information provided by the members of MyThings.
Founded in 2004, MyThings Inc has offices in Menlo Park, California; London, England; and Tel Aviv, Israel.
Contact: Myles Weissleder, Myler Media for MyThings (US) : +1 415 332 3205
Contact: Rebecca George, George PR for MyThings (UK) : +44 (0) 1449 737281
MyThings is a trademark and Trace a registered trademark of MyThings, Inc.
About LTU Technologies
A sustainable company with unique technology, LTU Technologies is established as the standard software for content-based search, retrieval and classification of images -- a technology referred to as "Image Mining". LTU's technology has found mission-critical applications within the Government sector, namely in child exploitation and stolen art investigations, as well as computer forensics, intelligence and counter-terrorism. LTU also operates in various commercial markets such as brand & copyright protection, enterprise security, digital asset management, e-commerce and mobile image filtering. LTU customers include the DHS-ICE, the French Police, the Italian Police, as well as Meredith Corporation and the PPR group. LTU has offices in Paris, Washington D.C. and is backed by JASTEC, a major Japanese corporation [TSE:9717].
Trademark Notice
LTU Technologies and Image-Seeker are trademarks of LTU Technologies. Any other third party trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Press contact
email : press@ltutech.com
phone : +33.1.53.43.01.68
