OT - protecting DVD discs from duplication

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ken c wrote on 10/9/2007, 4:53 AM
(lol you guys have a good sense of humor when it comes to holes)...

What I did for my latest DVD release was to have a splash warning in the front of each DVD that says "this is only HALF of your .... trading system videos, the other half are downloadable in your members' area"...

And I individually assign IP-traced logins/passes to the members' area (this is for a high-end DVD/CD hybrid trading course), where they get new videos each month for a year... For the members' area, I use a script that adult sites use, to prevent password sharing, by IP-address and geographic-location tracking.

So it should cut down a lot on piracy, since there's new video content that they access to get the "complete" system, that they download... plus it eliminates ebay/torrents since the content is newly-delivered and restricted to owners each month...

...kind of like a dongle system... I think that'll be necessary for any high end video system, to deliver half the content via DVDs, and more via protected site access, so that everything doesn't just end up on ebay or bittorrent.

So far it's worked great - zero refund requests (because they can't just copy and return DVDs, since I'd disable their member access), and six figures in sales in just a few weeks.

-k
corug7 wrote on 10/26/2007, 7:09 AM
Vic,

We are offering a new service that should help you in this matter. I'll send you an e-mail with details just in case you miss this.

Corey
Coursedesign wrote on 10/26/2007, 7:33 AM
I think there are quite a few people here in this forum whose livelihood depends on selling DVDs, and it wouldn't be wrong to describe what's available.

I received a beefy folder recently from a company mostly known for professional duplication and replication, talking about a new service to create copying-resistant disks, with samples enclosed even, but I haven't had the time to test it due to around the clock work.
vicmilt wrote on 10/27/2007, 11:13 AM
I would also like to know more.

But also, a lot of what I'm doing now, are "one-off's" of my current movie, that I simply don't want duped.

I would hate to have to wait a week for a duping service. Is there any software or hardware that will allow me to protect my stuff from my editing suite right here?

v
corug7 wrote on 10/30/2007, 11:19 PM
We are using a software based solution called Patronus. Licensing is pretty steep and requires a downpayment upfront. but it seems to work pretty well. It is more for stopping digital duplication of the content (I think analog copies can still be made). We have found ways to get around it digitally, but they are fairly involved and if someone REALLY wants to copy the disc, they will find a way anyway. Bottom line, better than nothing, but somewhat expensive.
Terje wrote on 10/31/2007, 1:37 AM
I would hate to have to wait a week for a duping service. Is there any software or hardware that will allow me to protect my stuff from my editing suite right here?

In reality, no, you can't. Simple answer.

There will be duplication services out there that will offer you an amount of protection, but that will only be economical when you print quite a few of your DVDs, and also, they can't really protect you if a moderately competent computer user wants to copy your stuff. If a PC can read the data on your disk, there is a way to copy it. If the PC can't read the data on your disk the user can not see your movie.

The most common way of doing copy protection these days is to use root kits, and quite frankly, you shouldn't. I, and most other computer users with some knowledge, consider them virii of a sort, and a lot of companies have run into trouble (including Sony) putting that kind of virus-style software on their disks.

The simple fact of the matter is that if you give someone a disk with your stuff on it, they can copy it. There is no way around it. Simple as that. Even the dumbest of computer users can copy commercial DVDs with copy protection with two clicks. If you don't want them to copy it, you can't give them a disk.
vicmilt wrote on 11/1/2007, 6:21 PM
Once again the artist gets screwed.

v
Chienworks wrote on 11/1/2007, 8:18 PM
I dunno about that. An awful lot of artists seem to make a pretty decent living these days. Maybe some don't do as well as they should, but overall the digital media industry seems to be thriving, and in the end it's all based on the artists creating the material to begin with. They wouldn't be doing that if they weren't being rewarded.
Coursedesign wrote on 11/1/2007, 9:07 PM
Record company execs are still dreaming about the good old days when people WANTED to buy CDs to fill their bookcases/floorstands etc. with fragile jewel boxes, and many of them seem to think that those days are still around.

Today there are very few non-AARP members who actually would ever use a physical CD to put in a "CD Player" to play music. I can't even remember when I did that, was it 5 or 10 years ago?

The only convenience of a CD today is as an in-the-package backup in case your hard disk croaks.

I have made my living from selling intellectual property for several decades, all stealable stuff: software, audio, and video.

But my problems with pirates have been modest, even as I have gone 100% without draconian measures.

The trick for me has been to make the code or the audio or the video not so attractive without something else, something that cannot be copied.

Support for software, and information provided separately for audio and video.

And of course a healthy reminder to the right people (administrators and executives at customer cos.) regarding my generous offer to get them a long vacation with free food and lodging at the Federal government's expense if they abuse their privileges, with kind and polite wording that leaves no doubt.