How to protect sold PDFs from unauthorized copying?
Hello! I regularly tutor physics students and create a lot of my own materials (explanations, graphics, exercises with solutions, etc.). It's been well-received, and one of my students recently said, "The stuff you're showing is much better than my textbook; you could sell it right away."
Now I had the idea to actually give it a try. Not to get rich (I have no illusions about that), but because I think it would be cool. And because it might be well-received, I should apply to a school textbook publisher later.
I was thinking of materials in PDF format that you can download for a small fee, or even small ebooks on various topics in PDF format (e.g., via digistore or something like Etsy, where people sell sewing patterns and craft instructions).
This raises the question of how I can prevent people who have downloaded the PDF from copying and distributing it or perhaps selling it themselves.
I'd have fewer concerns with PDF ebooks for adults (that, for example, someone who buys a pattern on Etsy might spread it widely). With schoolchildren or students, I think there might be fewer inhibitions/a sense of wrongdoing, and they're more likely to copy something and send it to friends, who then, in turn, spread it further. Since a lot of my time and intelligence goes into this material, I'd like to prevent that from happening.
Possible options:
- "Hard" PDF protection (Adobe DRM): not very user-friendly, can also be easily circumvented
- "Soft" protection with watermarks: there are just as many instructions on the Internet for adding watermarks as there are for removing them…
- Instead of making the PDF downloadable, I'd make it viewable on a small website (which I'm planning to set up anyway) after payment. Advantage: It can't be copied. Disadvantage: It's a lot of work to set up, and the corresponding plugins usually cost me money, especially if I want to offer a variety of materials.
My question to you:
How do you assess the risk that something like this will be spread or copied without restraint? Am I perhaps being too fearful?
What practical options do you see to prevent unauthorized copies?
(2 votes)
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I’ll tell you, there’ll always be a way to deal with a protective measure. You can secure your document with watermark, DRM etc. You’ll still have to take the risk and live with it when someone bypasses your protective action. You could do it so that you can sign each document uniquely. The advantage of this would be that who would be in circulation would know who published the document.
Regarding documents: I would be very interested in learning friendly reading in the field of physics. I am a total beginner, but I would like to go on training in this area. If you had something for me, write me a private message.
Thank you for your answer! I’ll report if I’ve worked out something really “presentables”.
Well, look so yes you did work but the more it spreads the more you know the name and if it’s really so good, then it’ll want to buy students too.
Therefore, a proportional free copy is not even badly known as advertising.
Or you’re really looking for a direct publishing house and doing it is far more absurd because they just know all rights.
Thanks for your input! I didn’t think that this could be advertising.
I think I have an idea how to do this, so a ne website on which you need to log in zb, then you can use a program to upload or download files on the other with the link you sent on it, but you can delete the file again change password again and again, means after everyone can change the password and the link is no longer callable to open.
that would also be possible with win rar or win zip
No good copy protection.
Even if it is on Ner website, you can simply take a screenshot from any page.
The risk isn’t low, but you can’t do anything about it, except report the download link when a Google drive link appears or something.
By the way, private copies are allowed. A private copy from a complete book to a friend or two is covered by the right to private copy. Only publicly can you not distribute the copies. See § 53 UrhG
Thanks for the answer! Yes screenshots always go and also expression seems possible with password protection. However, both are (relative) cumbersome when this has many pages. And then many people shy away from work. I mainly want to prevent this from being completely copied and spread with one click.
No, both absolutely not cumbersome. Windows can print to PDF, as it is printed directly into a PDF file. And taking screenshots can be easily automated depending on how the website is built.
From the illusion of publishing a document without which you can copy it, you should say goodbye. You can make it a little more difficult, but not prevent it. Then you have to either live with a copy of it, or you don’t even publish it.
Even your variant 3 can be copied in different ways, in case of doubt you simply take screenshots of it and then put them together.
You can protect the pdf with a password against copying. I’m still talking.
yes and the password only works in pc but not on the copier XD
Joa and Windows can print to PDF, then the file is “printed” into a PDF file, you’ve already copied it.
Wow! Thanks for the super-fast answer!
I’m not sure if I understand that correctly:
Does the user need a password to open the PDF? (i.e. every user is different? Or all the same? What could then be spread?)
Or can the PDF be viewed directly by any user who has downloaded it, but only copied with password (which I do not provide)?
(Next seems more logical to me. Excuse me, if I’m stupid, I’ve never worked with passwords at PDF.)
Wow! Thanks for the super-fast answer!
I’m not sure if I understand that correctly:
Does the user need a password to open the PDF? (i.e. every user is different? Or all the same? What could then be spread?)
Or can the PDF be viewed directly by any user who has downloaded it, but only copied with password (which I do not provide)?
(Next seems more logical to me. Excuse me, if I’m stupid, I’ve never worked with passwords at PDF.)
would also be thought on the website you do you have to sign up or you can’t read anything.
pdf da sat your password in the program itself, it is readable printable but not rewritable zb also possible a complete password protection so that the document is also visible after the password enter
that would also be feasible as winzip / winrar datei the can also be completely password provided
That sounds exactly what I’m looking for! Thanks for the tip, you will try this with the password on a PDF file!
Write into the PDF itself that it must not be spread