Encrypted Content

[agua]

:confused: Strange title and I'm not even sure its the correct one.

I just got a inquiry from a client who wants to make an education course which they have created available for sale online.

It needs to be in a format which the majority of people can use (html, word, pdf, flash?, Director?) and also it needs to be available for a screen reader.

They don't want the course to be copied, saved or to be distributed without their permission... and of course to make sure they get there $$.

So they have asked me of ways in which this can be done...

Does anyone know how this can be done?

[KLB]

You can't. End of story.

If something is available over the web and it needs to be accessible, then you are basically limited to HTML. Not everyone has or can support Word, PDF, Flash or Director and these products tend to have accessibility issues. Plus there is nothing you can do to prevent someone from saving files and thus being able to share them with friends. This is something the record labels do not seem to understand.

[Chris]

....and even if you could encrypt the source, nothing stops someone from taking a screenshot or copying & pasting what they see. If they can read it, they can copy it.

[Shockt]

It's similar to publishing a book, magazine article, a music CD, or movie. There will always be ways to steal/rip them. Copywrite laws are the only protection we've got.

[agua]

I thought as much... I have been thinking along the lines of some online login to a database which checks a user name and password before allowing further access.

I know the content would still be available - but for copying etc... but if I could make annoying steps along the way... it may put people off. - and

Also I could break down the course into sections... so its not all viewable at once and you have to complete one section before you can see the next... that could work :)

Any other thoughts on how I could make it harder to copy?

[KLB]

Like you said, keep it broken down into smaller chunks to make it inconvenient to copy. Password protecting may be a good idea to limit access to materials unless getting that material indexed by search engines is important.

[agua]

indexing is not important at all - in fact thinking about it - I don't want it indexed at all :)

[KLB]

Then make access to the content subscription based and require a user log in.

[agua]

Thanks Ken - I think that is the way forward

[KLB]

If you want to prevent people from "ripping" the whole site via automated site copying software you could place download limits that kicked in if too many pages were requested too quickly.

[AmbulanceBlues]

Isn't streaming video harder to rip than other types of information; or have I just not put enough effort into it? I would like to save some of the cool videos I see embedded in different pages (for my own use only, of course), but I haven't figured out how.

[Dan Morgan]

Isn't streaming video harder to rip than other types of information; or have I just not put enough effort into it? I would like to save some of the cool videos I see embedded in different pages (for my own use only, of course), but I haven't figured out how.

It is entirely possible to do this, the only issue is separating the opportunist who happens on the content or the idea to rip it, from the pirate who does this as a hobby or further.

System security in any form is only effective relative to how badly someone wants the information stored within.

Streaming video can be a pain depending on the format, but there are plenty of lightweight tools available to make it easy.

[KLB]

Streaming videos would not be accessible, which is one of the requirements mentioned in the first post.

[AmbulanceBlues]

I would think a screen reader would be moot for streaming video, and far more accessible in general (provided you made subtitles for the deaf.) I help my blind friend with various computer projects and I'm sure we would both much prefer a human voice to the digitized one he currently uses.