First things first – what is a watermark? A watermark is an image, overlay, or text that's placed over a digital asset. Usually, the image will be monochromatic and transparent, to enable others to still view the asset.
Typically, watermarks are used to protect content and to claim ownership of an asset. Without watermarks, valuable digital assets can be susceptible to content theft or unauthorized use.
When uploading or posting your digital content to public servers or websites, a simple right click and save allows someone to save your asset. How, where, and when they use it after that is their complete discretion.
Without proper protection, organizations that invest time and resources in producing original content, risk their assets being used by others, potentially impacting business opportunities and revenue. Watermarks can deter this content theft or prevent it entirely (when done well).