How to protect audio and video from piracy?

[Charybdis]

Hello,

if I sell audio and video, how can I protect them so that my buyers cannot share them?

I know that DRM (Digital rights management) can do this. I haven't found any prices on Microsoft.com, but for example Vidlock.com provides up to 30.000 licences per month for only $25.

So it is very cheap! Have you used DRM before? How does it work? Can a DRM protected file be watched on Mac and on Linux? How?

Besides DRM what other methods do you know?

I know what are the disadvantages of protecting audio and video. I just want to know what are the options. So please don't simply tell me not to protect the files... Because as I said, I know all the disadvantages, but I just would like to know the options.

Protecting vs. not protecting is another thread.

[eholmlund]

I'm guessing Josh Anderson will come by and tell you that it's impossible to protect audio/video, so I won't say it ;-)

You can discourage sharing the files simply by password protecting them and/or putting them in a password protected area. Membership scripts such as Amember have built-in sharing prevention and will disable a user if it uses too many IP's to login.

Of course you can watermark videos... write strong warnings, etc...

I would be curious to hear others experience with DRM though...

[Charybdis]

Oh yeah I know that there is no 100% protection. From Wikipedia:

"At a minimum, digital copy protection of non-interactive works is subject to the analog hole: regardless of any digital restrictions, if music can be heard by the human ear, it can also be recorded (at the very least, with a microphone and tape recorder); if a movie can be viewed by the human eye, it can also be recorded (at the very least, with a video camera and recorder). In practice, almost-perfect copies can typically be made by tapping into the analog output of a player (e.g. the speaker output or headphone jacks) and, once redigitized into an unprotected form, duplicated indefinitely. Copying text-based content in this way is more tedious, but the same principle applies: if it can be printed or displayed, it can also be scanned and OCRed. With basic software and some patience, these techniques can be applied by a typical computer-literate user."

Watermarking - people can still share the videos. But watermarking is an interesting option. But how to automatically watermark audio and video? I think every watermark must be unique per buyers, for example the watermark could consist the postal address and the name of the buyer. But if it is very expensive, then it isn't worth the effort. And what if they give me fake address? Then I cannot identify the source.

Do you know applications which can protect audio and video like an ebook compiler? So the buyers download and run an EXE file, which will play the audio/video, but the buyer cannot save or share the actual content.

[Charybdis]

I guessed that this thread will be more popular.

[Jesus Perez]

There is no way to protect audio or video. This is why 'bootlegs' have been in existence until today. TotalRecorder will snatch your audio and they even developed a video add-on. If that doesn't work, all a person needs to do is play your movie on a screen or TV and press the record button on the camcorder. Even VidLock admits this. As for DRM, well....people hate it...but it may deter some unauthorized copying.

[AskJesusLeon]

if they want it, they will get it some how, some way

[Chris_Willow]

Making it harder for pirates to get it makes it harder for your clients to use it. Thus focus on delivering the max value for your customers not the pirates.

Chris

[Charybdis]

And if you create a custom video or audio player? When people download my audio file, they would download an EXE program. Then this program would play the audio, but it would not allow to save or copy this audio. Same thing with video. I bet that that there are such programs which can do this.

[John Henderson]

Originally Posted by Charybdis

And if you create a custom video or audio player? When people download my audio file, they would download an EXE program. Then this program would play the audio, but it would not allow to save or copy this audio. Same thing with video. I bet that that there are such programs which can do this.

Couldn't the EXE program be pirated as well? Then you'd be back to square one.

I think that Chris summed it up well. Anti-piracy measures do nothing but aggravate your paying customers.

IMHO, the best anti-piracy measure is to charge a price that everyone can afford. Then it becomes more attractive to just buy the product from you rather than trawl around BitTorrent sites looking for ripped off copies. Just my 2 cents.

[cashtech29]

I agree with all the above, that is why I will put my web address link on every video that I can.
This way, if someone does steal it, I get free advertising.

[Josh Anderson]

I'm guessing Josh Anderson will come by and tell you that it's impossible to protect audio/video, so I won't say it ;-)

Its impossible

WalMart.com music downloads are now 100% DRM free.
Yahoo.com just announced it will no longer sell or support DRM protected products.
Itunes.com is marketing products without drm.

Why?

Because those that steal know how to crack it.

And...

Because those that do not steal hate the crappy experience they have dealing with drm content that they paid to use and have a hard time playing where and when they want it.

Does this mean you should not use it?

I don't know.

We have developed one of the most secure audio and video delivery systems there is via a feed that can be set to only one time access.

Yet I recommend that publishers do not use the one time setting but increase it a little.

Why? Because those that put such high restrictions have higher levels of customer service and such restrictions are unfair to honest customers who may have a computer crash etc. But the option is there.

I am also working with a partner on an exciting new flash video drm solution that meets several of my criteria for protecting user experience.

Why? Because there is a market for it and this solution may actually avoid several "no go" strategies that I avoid.

But in most cases its overkill because it really only keeps the honest honest.

There are very few solutions that can stop a person from cracking, downloading, recording, screen capturing etc. your content and sharing it if they are really driven to do so.

It is far better to use security that does not interfere with your honest customers experience, reduces customer service to a minimum, and keep the honest honest...

And then focus more time, resources, and energy on marketing.

My friend and mentor Mark Joyner once told me he used to obsess about this kind of thing. Until he realized it was far more productive to focus on the marketing ;-)

[Ross Dalangin]

There is a tool codec that would protect the videos.
Another is the EXE method that can only run once the IP or hardware/software information is listed as a member of your membership video site. There is always a crack but if you will encrypt it several times then it's pretty hard to decode.

[Josh Anderson]

exe options are the worst idea. It will reduce your market and all exe systems are prone to bugs, incompatibilities, and increasing customer dissatisfaction.

Additionally if you are publishing video content when you use such options you reduce the flexibility and creativity by which the content can be delivered and published.

DRM will reduce customer satisfaction and will not increase sales.

For those reasons it is a waste of time for most companies to focus on.

[Charybdis]

Originally Posted by Josh Anderson

Because those that do not steal hate the crappy experience they have dealing with drm content that they paid to use and have a hard time playing where and when they want it.

Do you have data which prove that DRM reduces sales?

Originally Posted by Josh Anderson

We have developed one of the most secure audio and video delivery systems there is via a feed that can be set to only one time access.

I am also working with a partner on an exciting new flash video drm solution that meets several of my criteria for protecting user experience.

Where can I check out these systems?

[Josh Anderson]

Do you have data which prove that DRM reduces sales?

Who needs it?

Sony introduces DRM on their CDs and gets sued.

WalMart eliminates DRM from their online music sales

Yahoo is now phasing out DRM use and eliminating its support 100% from their online music sales.

Itunes is moving away from DRM offering non drm.

Besides do you know how useless iTunes DRM is?

If you burn a CD using iTunes and the songs you purchased that were DRM you can then rip that same cd back to digital files and presto you no longer have drm files.

The only thing iTunes DRM does is make honest people who's computers die have to repurchase the same dang songs they already paid for.

If DRM worked and did not screw the honest people it would be a great option.

But it does not work and it does screw the honest people.

If the biggest players in digital media are dropping it....

Who needs a study?

Just ask your self this single question:

If you were offered a DRM version and a DRM free version that offered you a better experience as a user what would you prefer?

The answer is simple.

DRM does not increase sales.

Where can I check out these systems?

The premium feed system I mentioned is a feature of our publisher accounts at www.nanacast.com

The DRM solution for flash is TBA

[Steven Carl Kelly]

I used to worry about this, then I realized trying to protect the stuff was a waste of time I could have spent investing in ways to EARN money.

[Charybdis]

Ok, make sense.

If I distribute audio/video on CD/DVD with disk.com, which copy protection method could I use? So far we talked about downloadable products.

[Jesus Perez]

Originally Posted by Charybdis

Do you have data which prove that DRM reduces sales?

Let's see, Walmart, iTunes and Yahoo all drop DRM. I suspect they have the data to prove it.

Here's one last article to read.

The big DRM mistake

[Josh Anderson]

which copy protection method could I use?

None.

You should focus on marketing.

No disk copy protection works. Those that want to copy have tons of options available.

None. Not DVD not CD etc.

So don't bother.

Here's one last article to read.

The big DRM mistake

Great link.

Here is the first quote from that article that sums it all up:

"Digital Rights Managements hurts paying customers, destroys Fair Use rights, renders customers' investments worthless, and can always be defeated. Why are consumers and publishers being forced to use DRM?"

[Suthan M]

i agree with Josh and his mentor.. Focus more on the marketing. It is more productive to worry about that.

[Charybdis]

Originally Posted by Josh Anderson

None.

You should focus on marketing.

No disk copy protection works. Those that want to copy have tons of options available.

None. Not DVD not CD etc.

So don't bother.

And what do you think about protecting ebooks? Audio/video can be several hundreds MBytes. So people cannot send them via email, and if only a few people seed them, then they are hard to download from torrent.

But an ebook has very small file size. People can send it via email as attachment. And search engines can even index your ebook, if someone simply publish it on the web. So I think copy protecting ebooks is a bigger issue. What do you think about this?

Yeah I know that an EXE ebook can be read only on Windows machines, and not with an e-paper based device like Amazon Kindle or Sony Reader. But for example Mobipocket is a popular format compatible with several e-paper (E-Ink) based devices, Windows and Mac.

[Josh Anderson]

And what do you think about protecting ebooks?

Use PDF to protect them. It has by far the best security features and because it is a cross compatible format it is less likely to interfere with the user experience.

In fact I recently had a meeting with a client company that has some really incredible PDF protection worked into its system... essentially you can login, verify your self, open the document and read it but it will self destruct when your session ends and it is not cached, cannot be downloaded, and cannot be printed etc...

But it can still be screen captured, screen shot etc.

Of course this is high level security I am describing and quite expensive. Standard pdf security can be cracked with $10 software and does not stop the file or its passwords from being shared.

[Charybdis]

Originally Posted by Josh Anderson

In fact I recently had a meeting with a client company that has some really incredible PDF protection worked into its system... essentially you can login, verify your self, open the document and read it but it will self destruct when your session ends and it is not cached, cannot be downloaded, and cannot be printed etc...

But it can still be screen captured, screen shot etc.

But it is DRM, which you resisted. This way buyers cannot fairly use the ebook, they cannot print it, cannot read it on E-Ink devices. And I think what you described is impossible...

[Charybdis]

What if I run a Java applet in my member area? And this Java applet connects to my server, receives the content of my ebook, audio or video, then plays it inside my customer's browser? Java applets are cross-platform (Win, Mac, Linux), nothing to install (just first time the Java plugin), works with all major browsers. Applets cannot harm your computer, since they are sandboxed by the plugin. And applets don't have incompatibilies, since they are cross-platform.

[Jesus Perez]

Originally Posted by Charybdis

What if I run a Java applet in my member area? And this Java applet connects to my server, receives the content of my ebook, audio or video, then plays it inside my customer's browser? Java applets are cross-platform (Win, Mac, Linux), nothing to install (just first time the Java plugin), works with all major browsers. Applets cannot harm your computer, since they are sandboxed by the plugin. And applets don't have incompatibilies, since they are cross-platform.

Ay-yi-yi...you're stubborn eh?

Ok, you're super-secure Java applet is playing.
And my camcorder is recording everything onscreen.
Not so secure anymore, is it?

Also, I don't think I'm alone in stating that I enjoy printing my eBooks. I also enjoy listening to audio in my car's CD player. If I cannot print or put it on CD, is has no value to me.

I suspect your DRM ways will impact your sales and returns.