What does watermarking commonly aid in?

Watermarking is a significant technique used primarily for protecting copyrights. By embedding a watermark into a digital document or image, the owner can create a visible or invisible mark that indicates ownership, helping to deter unauthorized use or reproduction of the content. This serves as a legal notice that asserts the creator's rights over the material, thereby contributing to awareness around copyright issues and providing a method for tracking and proving ownership if disputes arise.

While enhancing document readability, speeding up data retrieval, and improving user access controls are relevant concepts in information security and data management, they do not directly relate to the primary function of watermarking. Watermarks do not enhance the clarity or readability of a document and do not affect the performance of data retrieval systems or change user access permissions. Thus, the focus of watermarking as a protective measure for copyrights is what makes this answer particularly poignant within the context of content protection and intellectual property.