David Poland, on his Movie City News Hot Blog, had a lot to say about this today:

http://www.mcnblogs.com/thehotblog/

"Banking on the threat of public humiliation." Watermarking isn't about humiliation, it's about proof of source.

One may not think twice about slipping a confidential script to Ain't It Cool if they know there will be no consequences. But if one knew that they would be caught and possibly lose their job, they might think twice or more.

And if a website publishes a script with my name blazoned across it, I'm guessing the studios will be able to figure out where said website got the script.

Of course, you can still leak even with these innovations. Simply take your physical copy, hide the watermarks and scan. Hey presto, a brand new PDF free for all to see...

Usually the watermarks are across the center of the script in the background...

Another way people have stopped the copying is by distributing it on red paper... which when scanned turns white; which is foiled now by PDF scanning tech.

Give us a break for God's sake.

It's like as if the whole world are reading the scripts once they're leaked.

It's not like those scripts are gonna be stolen. Those scripts are copyrighted and in production.

They're already been read by execs, directors, and actors. So why not let us poor fellas read them?

What did they do with Inception? Because it worked. I don't know anybody who didn't want to read that script before the film came out, but nobody had it.

Did you hear the one about the writer who printed off his script with a special ink (calibrated to his own unique biochemistry) that made the text completely invisible - unless he was within fifty yards of any of his scripts?

It was not only necessary to have him present for all script meetings but for the entire shoot as well.

We all know what this is about...

Hollywood does NOT like to be called on the carpet for being the sludge dealers that they are and the worst thing for them is when a script is leaked for a major "event" film which is thusly proven to be anything BUT.

Leaking scripts is a great, delightful system of checks n' balances. Consider it quality control in the harshest sense.

I used to sell used cars and when CARFAX came along, the party was over for a LOT of my sleazoid cohorts. (I was one of the good ones, I swear, look at this smile, see? Trust me, just sign on the dotted line...)

Soldier on fellow scribes. Keep the leaks leakin' until Hollywood gets the message.

couldn't you just retype the script in final draft, and release that copy?