How to protect your eBook?

There are software packages available that supposedly protect ebooks, but they don't really, just make it a little more difficult for someone to distribute illegally if they want to.

Remember, 99%+ of people follow the rules and these are the only people you should care about anyway. It's like downloading music, the people who download music illegally were never going to buy it anyway, so the record companies are not really losing anything.

Also, if you make them miss out something significant by obtaining your ebook illegally (such as your free newsletter or whatever), you might convert some of them into paying customers later if someone does go out of their way to pay for your ebook then start giving it away.

Just clearly mark your product as not including distribution rights and you shouldn't have much of a problem. If you find a site giving it away, you or your lawyer can probably get the host to shut it down pretty quickly.

http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...-do-about.html

To protect your eBook you should zip that file and then create a index.html file in order to protect it.

Use Sam's (Fellow Warrior) product. DLGuard. It'll solve your problem for you.

Roy

Some good answers here, one thing for sure is that no matter how hard you try someone will find a way to subvert your product, but really if you take a few steps you can discourage 99 percent of the problem.

I like the idea of using a splash page, where you have to enter user information in order to access product, some say they will never buy a product like that, all I have to say is that is you want the product you will.

If you dont you would not have bought it in the first place.

bottom line, take what steps you feel are right, without going overboard.

This is quite of a problem that must enterpreneurs must face. All you can do, as my fellows above said, is try to protect it with softwares available online.

Alsom check everynow and then if there are any copies online and send a letter to the host of the site where you find it asking to close that site since it's offering yout copyright product.

Hope it helps.

K.

I don't think DL Guard would solve the problem, though it is great at only letting someone download if they paid first.

As far as I know, the only reliable way to stop someone sharing your ebook is to use a different format to pdf. You would make the book as a .exe (from html), and then use a special protection service that locks the book to the users computer, so it only works on their machine. They could share it, but it would not work on anyone else's computer. One example of a protection program like this is ebookgold.

The problem is that .exe's do not run on a standard mac, and mac users are around 10% of the computer using population I think (might be more than that). To get around this, there are programs that mac users can run so they can view .exe's.

Hope this is helpful!

I wouldn't worry too much about the potential loss of sales, because those who steal your work would probably never have bought it in the first place.

Time is better spent marketing and promoting your products, and will be much more rewarding too

Hi

Armand Morin has an excellent piece of software that will help solve your problem. It immediately locks, disables and repossesses any stolen files with the click of a mouse and it also prevents the sharing of digital files. Unfortunately I can't give you the link but its call Product Padlock

Hope it helps

Doug

I looked at the Armand Morin product it looks like something I have seen before, After looking over it, I could never recommend a product that you do not own but only rent.

No offense meant, but the best solution is one that you control not one that you only rent, renting does not produce the potential for wealth except for the person that is renting out the product.

If you spend all your time focused on locking the door you may not have enough time to create the best product.

I'm a bit... appalled at some of the advice here.

The brutal truth is simple.

If your product is something good, then people will pirate it. All those so called PDF security software's are useless. These programs are going up against thousands of crackers who routinely smash multi-million dollar corporate security measures with the ease of children.

Also.

People when they buy their ebook, damn sure don't what have to deal with the process of going to a website and enter information. They bought the ebook and they rightly feel entitled to open it at their leisure. Also most people are leery of opening exe files because those are traditionally associated with viruses.

The idea that simply placing a warning label disclaimer will dissuade people from pirating is a bit laughable. If someone went to the effort of finding your stuff, a piece of text that can't be enforced isn't going to scare them.

I recommend making sure your product has sufficient links back to your stuff, and leaving it at that. It's a simple cost of doing business, and to be honest you should be worried if your stuff isn't getting pirated.

When someone is pirating your stuff, consider it good that someone actually cares enough to steal it and move on.

I've used Ebook compiler for several client projects which prevents piracy and copying and it is very good. It is very cost effective and easy to use.

The only limitation is that it will only run on a Windows platform.

I also purchased a product a while ago called Hyprlock which had a function included that disabled the files when a refund was issued. The only limitation was that you could not integrate it with your own MySQL/PHP backend as I recall.

Jonathan

Try e-junkie. They've got a new system where they put the buyers details on the PDF. That way you know whos been giving it out. Plus it protects downloads.

Gurpreet

One thing I would do is to register the ebook and get yourself an ISSN for it. The ISSN is like an ISBN but it is for electronic media rather than a tangible book. The application process is free, if I am not mistaken so that should not be an issue and when the pirates see that you took the time to register the material then they might think twice about pirating it because they know you now have the full weight and authority of the law behind you. That is something that they typically do not want to be bothered with.

So all those ebook protection programs are useless? And all those people making them are just wasting their time?

Yes they are useless. People are making them because it provides the illusion of security, and sort of like the "Make Millions in a Month" group. They are making them because are people delusional enough to buy them and it makes them money.

I've used Ebook compiler for several client projects which prevents piracy and copying and it is very good. It is very cost effective and easy to use.

I'd be very careful before putting my faith in this, if I were you I'd use google to look for ways to break this software's encryption. Chances are there is a forum post about it.

Try e-junkie. They've got a new system where they put the buyers details on the PDF. That way you know whos been giving it out. Plus it protects downloads.

Interesting system, which of course is assuming that people won't just strip the text from the pdf or just use a software like Dragon Speak Naturally to copy it in a half-hour.

that you took the time to register the material then they might think twice about pirating it because they know you now have the full weight and authority of the law behind you. That is something that they typically do not want to be bothered with.

What authority? I'm curious which department you think is going to care about the fact someone is pirating your ebook? With all due respect, the last Harry Potter book was leaked early and they couldn't shut it down. I'm pretty sure Rowling can bring a lot more muscle then anyone here could to defend your intellectual property rights.

Law enforcement doesn't care about little releases, and the bigger warez groups operate outside the jurisdiction of the United States.

Orator, I am so glad to see that you are so upbeat and chipper here. Could you hold down all that well wishing and stuff as there are people trying to be cynical here.

When it comes to my money, and other peoples money I prefer cold hard rationality to utopian ideals. I don't do anyone any use by lying to them and telling them what they want to here.

Fellow warriors deserve the truth, even an inconvenient one.

I hear Ya CmdrStidd,

The amount of stuff on the floor in here is beginning to smell...

This discussion has been had over and over again, the last time, I think it was at the old forum, one guy said he could crack anything, I posed him a program I designed to discourage, pirating, and offered to publicly apologize if he could break the code in my application,

I never heard from him again...

Bottom line, yes, you can lock the door, and no you cant keep everyone out but you can keep 99 percent of the people out and that is often worth the cost of admission.

Hi jkiley,

Another option is to have a 'viral' component to your ebook, so that even if it was distributed without your permission, you can still benefit from it's traffic, links, etc.

regards,
James Pateman

Some great info in this thread. For eBooks, I've got methods of my own that are rooted in psychology. For software, hire a good programmer.

So all those ebook protection programs are useless? And all those people making them are just wasting their time?

No, they are made by people like us, who are trying to sell things to people.

I agree with the posters that say put your links in the book to try to get additional sales.

Also, do a search occasionally to see if you can find someone else offering it, and try to get them to stop.

I believe many people use a combination of PayPal and DLGuard

I'm not interested in personally attacking anyone, I simply answered a posted question.

If your ebook is good enough to warrant a lot of attention, then the security measures used will be overwritten. This is a matter of pride and honor in that community, and if their is a demand then it will happen.

If your book isn't that popular, then you have nothing to worry about.

No one likes the idea that their hard work will so casually be taken for free, but that's the simple truth. There is no law enforcement presence that really cares enough to shut down a site. There resources are more focused on the bigger rings, and or fiction from publishing houses.

Sites like rapidshare, etc make their money and I'm willing to bet most of it from illegal file sharing. They operate on a see no evil hear no evil policy because it lines their pockets.

Torrents can't be stopped, period nor will disclaimers scare a ten year old.

The best answers is to use it to your advantage, make sure your links are in your stuff and focus on the majority market that will pay.

There are times to fight for your property and other times to accept the inevitable.