How would you get around this?

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BuddhistPunk

Gawd
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Mar 21, 2002
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I am currently working for a magazine company that is toying with the idea of releasing copies of their magazines (to subscribers) electronically.

The idea is fairly simple, the subsriber downloads an application that allows them to view the magazine, and every month they either download or get emailed a data file that will contain that months magazine.

The problem is that the company does not want people to be able to copy the magazines content, and then use it in non copyright environments.

We have a basic framework put together, and this will not allow users to :

1) Use copy and paste functions
2) Take screenshots
3) Read the data file, its in an proprietry format that can only be read by the viewing application. (we are also considering looking at some form of encryption)

Obviously there is nothing to stop somebody from sitting and typing out the content, but this is unavoidable and something that can happen to a physical magazine.

So presented with this, how would you get around it so that you could copy the text/images?
 
you can always take windows screen shots and crop them. You will never get around that.
 
Are the articles stored as text?

If so, I'd load the reader then write an app to snoop your apps memory and copy the articles text.

Easy to do.

If they're stored as images, then I'd just grab the images as you decode them.
 
Start with using the Adobe PDF engine. This can handle your security needs as well as your content managment needs. Not sure how to get around taking screenshots within Windows. Perhaps you should incorporate the the WMP flaw of using full hardware acceleration?
 
you want a PDF really...

the only viable options for disabling screenshots are:
1. Render the pages using direct3d... not that tough really, but the client must have directx installed

2. Overflow the GDI system when your program starts, usually this results in completly corrupted screenshots... but generally won't have good effects on your program either unless you are carefull... this is more of a bug then a feature though... so be wary

^^ neither of the above is completly safe... and they can of course copy anything by hand... but it will make it difficult

if you are going to write a full app, then i would suggest:

1. Use direct3d to "render" pages of jpegs.
2. Encrypt the jpegs with a key... perhaps make the key the md5 of the app itself... (taken at runtime) this could prevent tampering of the compiled code, but will be a pain if you need to do revisions of the software.
3. make a decent UI for skimming pages... etc...
 
I'm not sure if the company wants to go this route.. but copy-protected PDFs with DRM is a definite possibility.

Look into that... I believe it's called the Adobe Content Server
 
Who cares?

If you're like most periodicals, most of your revenue comes from advertising rather than the subscription cost. As long as the 'stolen' copies don't use your bandwidth, you're not really going to be losing anything. I'm sure it'd be nice to inflate your circulation numbers somewhat, but...
 
Originally posted by ameoba
Who cares?

If you're like most periodicals, most of your revenue comes from advertising rather than the subscription cost. As long as the 'stolen' copies don't use your bandwidth, you're not really going to be losing anything. I'm sure it'd be nice to inflate your circulation numbers somewhat, but...
Click to expand...

he's got a point.
 
I agree, adverts make the money.

Agreed PDF is the best choice, and I have not been a developer for it for some time, but a few years ago there was a wrapper that you basically download a blank pdf (to the naked eye) and if you were online, you open the doc and it is served to you. Based on what password and user id was wrapped in the doc, you got a table of contents that was unique to your userid. the early days before drm.

when you logged in, an email is sent to you with your ip address and you pasted that into the doc along with a key from the email.

YES it was troublesome and overly complicated. fortunately that is all obsolete

http://www.adobe.com/security/main.html
 
Theres a program exists for Electronic Mags, you down load from their Server and load it in their application. So your company could approch them.

I cant recall what its called, If I remember I'll check when I go back to my Flat cos its not installed on my laptop :(
 
... just like to mention, that i work for a library consulting company... most of our clients get hundreds, if not thousands of periodicals... many of them are available in PDF format... and i am sure the subscription costs are probably higher...

also most libraries keep the cover and TOC pages on file in the computer, and printed... if they can't do that, they probably will be pissed for paying for your content.
 
You need to think of your readers as well as protecting content. I might not want to install another piece of software to read the electronic copies of a magazine, going with Acrobat is the best option as many people already have Acrobat Reader. What's needed is a balance between protecting content and not annoying the users.
 
who is gonna pay for online mags that you cant do anything with if you can buy the paper mag and have more freedoms? Your inposing extra restraints that arent implememnted on the paper magazine, why, because the person is computer literate? I see you looking a whole clientel. Or asking people to crack your magazine just to bust your balls the way you did to them.
 
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