[wilsea05]

I'm intending to sell a document, but obviously if I just sent a microsoft word document to someone after they'd given me the money they could then send it to all of their friends, and so on (its basically a revision guide i've made for the 1st year of my course at uni). Are there any documents that don't allow you to copy and paste material on that document? i'm aware that i can buy CDs, put the file on there and password protect it so that the file can't be copied/deleted/edited (i think?) but how would i go about doing this?

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated! thanks

[Psyk]

I doubt there's anything you can do. Even if there was something that prevented them copying the file, they could copy and paste the text into a new file. Even if you could prevent that, they could take screenshots of the content. Even if you could prevent that, they could take a photo of the screen.

[estel]

If someone's determined to copy your work and redistribute it they'll be able to regardless of what you do.

Far better to apply some discrete social engineering: just distribute a .pdf / .epub which is personalised for the individual who's licensed it from you. The page footer could read "Generated for John Smith", and you could automate this relatively easily.

(You should definitely distribute as a .pdf or similar rather than a .doc).

[wilsea05]

(Original post by Psyk)
I doubt there's anything you can do. Even if there was something that prevented them copying the file, they could copy and paste the text into a new file. Even if you could prevent that, they could take screenshots of the content. Even if you could prevent that, they could take a photo of the screen.

oh nah im not bothered about people screenshotting it, if they wanna do that for 400 pages worth then they can go ahead haha, but at the very least i want to prevent people being able to right click copy and paste it on all their friends memory sticks or whatever

[wilsea05]

(Original post by estel)
If someone's determined to copy your work and redistribute it they'll be able to regardless of what you do.

Far better to apply some discrete social engineering: just distribute a .pdf / .epub which is personalised for the individual who's licensed it from you. The page footer could read "Generated for John Smith", and you could automate this relatively easily.

(You should definitely distribute as a .pdf or similar rather than a .doc).

what effect would me putting 'generated for _______' have on people copying it?

[estel]

(Original post by wilsea05)
what effect would me putting 'generated for _______' have on people copying it?

Don't get me wrong: it absolutely won't stop people from copying it. Nothing you do will stop people from copying a file you send out.

What it does is reenforce a degree of responsibility in the individual who copies the document. Unless they go to some effort, they'll be clearly fingered as the person responsible if the document is widely disseminated.

I guess you have another option: put the document online. When people pay you, give them usernames and passwords to access a website with your guide on it. Don't generate any single file with your guide, spread it over dozens or hundreds of webpages so that collating and redistributing them is too much hassle. You can relatively easily check if someone is sharing a username with other people.

[dean01234]

(Original post by wilsea05)
oh nah im not bothered about people screenshotting it, if they wanna do that for 400 pages worth then they can go ahead haha, but at the very least i want to prevent people being able to right click copy and paste it on all their friends memory sticks or whatever

Just a thought about putting it on-line and preventing a right click option? (you would have to make it an image so they can't highlight text)

Not ideal, but the only thing I can think of.

I think there are programs where you can make accounts for people, but I'm not familiar with any of them, maybe someone else could shed some light on the matter?

[ritchie888]

No method will stop this happening.

[wilsea05]

(Original post by dean01234)
Just a thought about putting it on-line and preventing a right click option? (you would have to make it an image so they can't highlight text)

Not ideal, but the only thing I can think of.

I think there are programs where you can make accounts for people, but I'm not familiar with any of them, maybe someone else could shed some light on the matter?

(Original post by ritchie888)
No method will stop this happening.

(Original post by estel)
Don't get me wrong: it absolutely won't stop people from copying it. Nothing you do will stop people from copying a file you send out.

What it does is reenforce a degree of responsibility in the individual who copies the document. Unless they go to some effort, they'll be clearly fingered as the person responsible if the document is widely disseminated.

I guess you have another option: put the document online. When people pay you, give them usernames and passwords to access a website with your guide on it. Don't generate any single file with your guide, spread it over dozens or hundreds of webpages so that collating and redistributing them is too much hassle. You can relatively easily check if someone is sharing a username with other people.

I know that if someone is that determined then copying it is possible, but as long as it's not as simple as highlighting and copying the file then i guess that's the most i could do. What sites are there that i could put the document on and only allow people with a username and password with to access?

[Repressor]

Why don't you release it under creative commons? It would be better as people can edit it next year and it still be relevant. The course won't always be the same every year.

[dean01234]

(Original post by wilsea05)
What sites are there that i could put the document on and only allow people with a username and password with to access?

Cloud storage sites like google docs or dropbox allow you to restrict access to certain users, if you put it on one of those then you could enable people who pay to view them...

[Dez]

If you don't want your work copied then you really shouldn't choose the Internet as your distribution method. The internet was invented to copy things. Any restrictions you put in place are just going to be an annoyance to your users, which in turn means you'll get fewer customers.

[dean01234]

(Original post by wilsea05)
I know that if someone is that determined then copying it is possible, but as long as it's not as simple as highlighting and copying the file then i guess that's the most i could do. What sites are there that i could put the document on and only allow people with a username and password with to access?

I haven't read all of the website but it sounds like it might help you...

[ritchie888]

(Original post by wilsea05)
I know that if someone is that determined then copying it is possible, but as long as it's not as simple as highlighting and copying the file then i guess that's the most i could do. What sites are there that i could put the document on and only allow people with a username and password with to access?

I'm fairly sure there are programs out there which stop you from copying and pasting the documents content, but none which stop someone from copying the actual document and transferring it onto other mediums.

Basically, you can stop people from editing your document, you can't stop the transmission of it across other people.

[Mad Vlad]

(Original post by wilsea05)
I'm intending to sell a document, but obviously if I just sent a microsoft word document to someone after they'd given me the money they could then send it to all of their friends, and so on (its basically a revision guide i've made for the 1st year of my course at uni). Are there any documents that don't allow you to copy and paste material on that document? i'm aware that i can buy CDs, put the file on there and password protect it so that the file can't be copied/deleted/edited (i think?) but how would i go about doing this?

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated! thanks

It's called a .pdf

[Dmon1Unlimited]

if there was a program to help stop copying, that would mean piracy would not exist....yet it still does
then again... youre not a company not widely known i assume... i suppose if you manage to get some programs that companies use (i.e. apple and their drm) then i doubt anyone will be experienced enough (could still happen) to try and pirate you despite it being possible.... though i suspect these programs are expensive

(Original post by wilsea05)
I'm intending to sell a document, but obviously if I just sent a microsoft word document to someone after they'd given me the money they could then send it to all of their friends, and so on (its basically a revision guide i've made for the 1st year of my course at uni). Are there any documents that don't allow you to copy and paste material on that document? i'm aware that i can buy CDs, put the file on there and password protect it so that the file can't be copied/deleted/edited (i think?) but how would i go about doing this?

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated! thanks

one way i can think of (not a program) is to print it out, and let them see if briefly for some spare change (cant really buy it, but itll help against piracy if youre that obsessed by it)

[Dmon1Unlimited]

(Original post by Mad Vlad)
It's called a .pdf

you can prevent it from being edited, which i find quite annoying with my some of my lecture notes, but i doubt itll help much with copying...

he needs to send them the password if its to be password protected, which is worthless

[wilsea05]

(Original post by Dmon1Unlimited)
if there was a program to help stop copying, that would mean piracy would not exist....yet it still does
then again... youre not a company not widely known i assume... i suppose if you manage to get some programs that companies use (i.e. apple and their drm) then i doubt anyone will be experienced enough (could still happen) to try and pirate you despite it being possible.... though i suspect these programs are expensive




one way i can think of (not a program) is to print it out, and let them see if briefly for some spare change (cant really buy it, but itll help against piracy if youre that obsessed by it)

printing it out like a book would actually be the best way of doing it to be honest, but in total it's gonna end up being around 300 pages long, so unless I get some industrial printing done then profit will go down the drain. I think putting it on a CD as a .pdf which is password protected as read-only would be the best way of doing it though

[maturestudy]

(Original post by Dmon1Unlimited)
you can prevent it from being edited, which i find quite annoying with my some of my lecture notes, but i doubt itll help much with copying...

he needs to send them the password if its to be password protected, which is worthless

It's possible to go further than that and secure a PDF with Adobe DRM. There's just two problems with that. First, it's expensive. And second, it's about as secure as putting all your money in a bag and leaving it on your porch with a note attached saying 'Please don't steal me!'

You can remove the DRM restrictions from any PDF in seconds.

OP: Here's what you have to do:

• Have your document printed out and mounted in glass display cabinets in a high security warehouse staffed by highly trained ex-SAS security.
• Instead of selling your document, you now have to sell access to view the document by prior arrangement.
• Subject all all your customers to a thorough search on the way in and out.
• Hope none of your staff betray you.

Sadly, I don't think that's the answer you were looking for.

[Dmon1Unlimited]

(Original post by wilsea05)
printing it out like a book would actually be the best way of doing it to be honest, but in total it's gonna end up being around 300 pages long, so unless I get some industrial printing done then profit will go down the drain. I think putting it on a CD as a .pdf which is password protected as read-only would be the best way of doing it though

that does nothing...

1) the person you want to give it to needs the password, once you give it to them they can copy the contents and send it to everyone with the password
2) read only does not mean copy proof... it means you cant edit it

if you gave me the cd and password, id say its fairly easy for me to give everyone else a copy unless im overlooking something...