For book/ebook authors, publishers, & self-publishers
Securing your Ebooks to prevent theft and illegal distribution
Hi everyone,
I've been following some of the discussion on ebooks here, but I see nothing about securing one's ebooks to prevent theft and illegal distribution. There is very little out there and I am still doing research in the area. It seems that security software and services have not caught up with the widespread use of ebooks. But here is what I know, and I want to share it as a start. While I don't want to deter anyone or create a sour note on ebook publishing, I want to bring the security issue into our consciousness. Here's why.
Widespread forwarding and illegal downloading
You work hard to create your ebook. It's your unique story or content. You sell it to a person who without second thoughts forwards the PDF to her friends. If you think that only a few people do this, I hate to tell you otherwise. I have friends who are writers themselves, good honest people, and I've seen them doing it! Here are some scary stats:
"In a recent study conducted by IDC for the Business Software Alliance, “Two-thirds of college and university students surveyed see nothing unethical about swapping or downloading digital copyrighted files -- software, music and movies -- without paying for them. Also, more than half -- 52 percent -- think it is also acceptable behavior in the workplace.” Check the article.
It is as if people believe that anything in the internet can be shared and they do not feel it as a theft. If they can do it, many will. You are losing hundreds of sales per month. But that's not all.
Your ebook's value is reduced
Your ebook's value is reduced because anyone can obtain for free. Why pay?
Professional Theft and reselling
You sale the book to a person who changes the author and copyright information and sales it as her own. If you find out, try getting them to court. You can be buried for years, lose thousands of dollars, and they can just vanish. I've read documented cases like this, and it breaks my heart.
Hijacking of information and links
Even if you are giving away a free ebook to attract readers, someone can simply hijack the information, changing the links to their site.
False returns
Unscrupulous people will ask for their money back and then keep reading it or even forward or distribute it.
Piracy and Illegal free download sites
There are hundreds of sites where people upload ebooks for free. Thousands of books are stolen and uploaded. Once your ebook is there, people can get it for free. Why pay?
I believe that most people are good. But it only takes a couple of rotten persons to create massive loss of income for you.
Plus even good people are sometimes careless or unintentionally callous, passing on ebooks to others.
That's why I am researching the available information. Here are some useful links to articles and to the best options I have found.
I have found that there is a limited amount of services out there, ranging from $9 to $99 a month. A couple of them seem good at $25 or so. It is worth not only for security, but they allow you to offer try-outs and buy from the sample and to track down sales, as well as to block users, so that you can offer money-back guarantee, which increases your sales.
I have also found out that most of these services are not yet to parr with my needs as an author/expert. I can't find any that offers top security and can deliver subscription-based ebooks or packages, for example.
Read carefully all the available material so that you can understand what type of security you need and can make a wise choice.
And please, do not think that by putting a password on your PDF or disabling the copy/paste your ebook is protected. It is not. There are a dozen ways to steal it.
If you find any other information, please share it here. I believe that the authors of digital books need to mobilize and request better security options in order to generate the demand that will spur new services and software.
Articles about ebook security:
http://www.talewins.com/Browzer/stoptheft.htm
This is a personal story about an ebook theft and how the author dealt with it. It has some resources and good advice.
Excellent article with statistics and resources
http://ezinearticles.com/?E-book-Theft---Protecting-What-is-Rightfu...
The best comparative review of ebook compilers that offer security.
http://www.ebookfreeway.com/p-compiler-review.html
Ebook Security services
http://www.secure-ebook.com/
http://www.ebookstarter.com/index2.htm
Activ Ebook compiler
Ebook Generator
These are not affiliate links. Just sharing what I've found.
I hope this helps to bring the security of ebooks into the forefront of discussion and to give you a good start-up. Please let me know what you discover.
Light and love,
Maria Mar
I've been following some of the discussion on ebooks here, but I see nothing about securing one's ebooks to prevent theft and illegal distribution. There is very little out there and I am still doing research in the area. It seems that security software and services have not caught up with the widespread use of ebooks. But here is what I know, and I want to share it as a start. While I don't want to deter anyone or create a sour note on ebook publishing, I want to bring the security issue into our consciousness. Here's why.
Widespread forwarding and illegal downloading
You work hard to create your ebook. It's your unique story or content. You sell it to a person who without second thoughts forwards the PDF to her friends. If you think that only a few people do this, I hate to tell you otherwise. I have friends who are writers themselves, good honest people, and I've seen them doing it! Here are some scary stats:
"In a recent study conducted by IDC for the Business Software Alliance, “Two-thirds of college and university students surveyed see nothing unethical about swapping or downloading digital copyrighted files -- software, music and movies -- without paying for them. Also, more than half -- 52 percent -- think it is also acceptable behavior in the workplace.” Check the article.
It is as if people believe that anything in the internet can be shared and they do not feel it as a theft. If they can do it, many will. You are losing hundreds of sales per month. But that's not all.
Your ebook's value is reduced
Your ebook's value is reduced because anyone can obtain for free. Why pay?
Professional Theft and reselling
You sale the book to a person who changes the author and copyright information and sales it as her own. If you find out, try getting them to court. You can be buried for years, lose thousands of dollars, and they can just vanish. I've read documented cases like this, and it breaks my heart.
Hijacking of information and links
Even if you are giving away a free ebook to attract readers, someone can simply hijack the information, changing the links to their site.
False returns
Unscrupulous people will ask for their money back and then keep reading it or even forward or distribute it.
Piracy and Illegal free download sites
There are hundreds of sites where people upload ebooks for free. Thousands of books are stolen and uploaded. Once your ebook is there, people can get it for free. Why pay?
I believe that most people are good. But it only takes a couple of rotten persons to create massive loss of income for you.
Plus even good people are sometimes careless or unintentionally callous, passing on ebooks to others.
That's why I am researching the available information. Here are some useful links to articles and to the best options I have found.
I have found that there is a limited amount of services out there, ranging from $9 to $99 a month. A couple of them seem good at $25 or so. It is worth not only for security, but they allow you to offer try-outs and buy from the sample and to track down sales, as well as to block users, so that you can offer money-back guarantee, which increases your sales.
I have also found out that most of these services are not yet to parr with my needs as an author/expert. I can't find any that offers top security and can deliver subscription-based ebooks or packages, for example.
Read carefully all the available material so that you can understand what type of security you need and can make a wise choice.
And please, do not think that by putting a password on your PDF or disabling the copy/paste your ebook is protected. It is not. There are a dozen ways to steal it.
If you find any other information, please share it here. I believe that the authors of digital books need to mobilize and request better security options in order to generate the demand that will spur new services and software.
Articles about ebook security:
http://www.talewins.com/Browzer/stoptheft.htm
This is a personal story about an ebook theft and how the author dealt with it. It has some resources and good advice.
Excellent article with statistics and resources
http://ezinearticles.com/?E-book-Theft---Protecting-What-is-Rightfu...
The best comparative review of ebook compilers that offer security.
http://www.ebookfreeway.com/p-compiler-review.html
Ebook Security services
http://www.secure-ebook.com/
http://www.ebookstarter.com/index2.htm
Activ Ebook compiler
Ebook Generator
These are not affiliate links. Just sharing what I've found.
I hope this helps to bring the security of ebooks into the forefront of discussion and to give you a good start-up. Please let me know what you discover.
Light and love,
Maria Mar
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