If the data on your disc can be accessed, it can be copied. There is no way to prevent this.

Or, put another way, if you don't want your discs to be copied, don't make them at all! This is the only functional copy protection scheme.

Many people have complimented my work. One or two of the parents purchase a copy, and they make copies to give out to their friends.

That's just wrong, especially if you're an independent. At least implore any purchasers of your work to not copy and distribute it. They need to know that if you do not make any money, then you cannot continue to produce the work (I'm assuming) they like.

(Though that may fall on deaf ears; you might want to look into legal means of protecting your work if it continues.)

Iacobus
------- RodelWorks - Original Music for the Unafraid Buy Instant ACID by JohnnyRoy and mD! mD at ACIDplanet

There is no low cost way of protecting them from the average person. And even the high cost way can be copied with the right research.

The only thing you can try is to insert a legal statement on your receipts and on the video itself, along with a serial number for each one integrated into the video. That way, you can track the copies if they come back your way and at least alert the purchaser of their wrongdoing.

Dave T2

How Do I put serial numbers in the video. Some one suggested I put a water color, but I didn't understand how to do it, or how it works. Any suggestions.

Watermarks are a waste of time and only serve to keep people from stealing the preliminary product, not the finished version - because the finished version will most likely not have a watermark on it.

Serial numbers are easy, if you can stand the pain of doing them for multiple DVD's and accept the fact that unless you are willing to take someone to court they don't do you any good at all (and even then it's debatable whether you would gain anything - if you sue the person/people who are stealing your work, you may, after an expensive legal battle, win, but would it really be worth it - you can bet that everyone involved would soon hear about the fact that you are taking the pirate to court and then people might not purchase from you simply because of that, because they would feel that you were blowing the situation totally out of proportion - the bottom line is that most people do not realize that they are stealing, and for some of them that do realize it, they simply don't care).

Anyway, for a serial number, at the most basic level, you simply create a single frame in you movie (usually at the beginning) with the serial number on it - the number is unique for each DVD that you burn, so you're going to be spending a lot of time authoring DVD's.

Then, as you sell each DVD you record who gets what serial number - and when you start seeing duplicates show up, you snag one and look at the frame and you can tell who duplicated the DVD (which could be 2 or 3 or more people removed from the original purchaser). BTW, when people catch on that you are putting serial numbers on the video, they can also remove them if they have the know-how.

The only way to resolve this (IMO) is to get your money up-front. If you're working with a group, demand that they promise a certain number of sales (with cash in advance) and if they don't get the pre-sales levels, they make up the difference, otherwise you refund all the money and don't give them anything.

Education is also another option you can try - people may not realize how much time you've invested and that by making copies they are stealing. I wouldn't hold out much hope for this approach working though.

--Scott

I think in this situation, many people just do not understand that what they are doing is wrong. Make it very clear that copying the work is a violation of your copyright at the time you solicit orders for the finished product. Keep the language simple, and I think a lot of people will respect it.

Also keep your pricing structure fair and relatively modest. Cranking off dozens of copies can be mindless and inexpensive - the cheaper something is, the less likely people are going to be to run off their own copies.

I like the suggestions to get paid. I was volunteering my time. Those families that want the DVDs could get them from me for $10-$15. I would spend that money in a heart beat if someone made memories with my child in it. I scanned 349 pictures for them. Each picture takes about 1 minute to scan on my Epson. I hate scanning. I told them I would only scan upto 100, but the flexible, nice guy that I am, I did it. With everyone's good suggestion, I am going to charge $150, or get 10 copies at $15 before I start. That is a steal for them. I saw a brochure from a company that charges $2.25 for each scanned picture. I am also going to put copyright proctection verbage, and my phone number for those who want to purchase copies. BTW, the club did give me a $25 gift certificate.

Here is a link to some of those FBI warning screens you can put at the start
http://www.sonnyboo.com/downloads/downloads.htm

Cimerron has the right idea. Turn the negative into a positive and let the viewer know right at the start that additional copies can be purchased at: "fill in the blank" and that you offer an award for information infringing on your copyrighted work.

Going heavy on the offenders isn't going to get you anywhere, but a reminder by you at the awards banquet (as well as in the flyer) that you can only continue providing videos with the continued support of your customers who resist the urge to copy the video to hand out to friends.

You might also consider bulk sales to those customers who need additional copies for relatives and friends. Since copies are being distributed you might as well be the one who makes the copies and profit from it.

Doesn't the new version of DVDA (with Vegas 6) come with some kind of copy-protection ability?