Copy protection for authored CD's

[Ray Schneider]

I intend to publish for sale educational CD's with lots of
images and text. The material will be compiled on the CD
with FrontPage 2003 and accessed via the user's browser.
Is there any way to prevent unauthorized copying of these
CD's?

Thanks,
Ray Schneider

 

[Duncan]

In a short answer, not really. Below is a list of some
commonly used commercial cd protection software. However,
it is almost always possible to disable it locally.
Programs such as Daemon Tools (http://www.daemon-
tools.cc) and CloneCD (www.clonecd.net) can do this in a
matter of seconds.

I hope you find success.

-Duncan

Alcatraz
CD-Cops
CD-Protect
CopyLok
CrypKey
DBB
DiscGuard
FADE
HexaLock
LaserLock
LockBlocks
Phenoprotect
ProtectCD
Ring PROTECH
Roxxe
SafeDisc
SafeDisc v2
SafeDisc v3
SafeCast
SecuROM
SmarteCD
SoftLock
Star Force
TAGES
The Copy-Protected CD
The Bongle

 

[MD Websunlimited]

Ray,

I don't believe that you'll find a way to stop the copying of the CD. However consider protecting the content itself by having the
purchaser use a registration code. The content on the CD can still be viewed in the local browser but can not be copied.

--
Mike -- FrontPage MVP '97-'02
http://www.websunlimited.com
Need to run ASP pages without a browser or server? Take a look at what RunASP can do for you.
http://www.websunlimited.com/order/Product/RunASP/runasp.htm
FrontPage Add-ins Since '97 2003 / 2002 / 2000 Compatible

 

[Ray Schneider]

Thanks for your reply. Can you provide additional details
on a registration code? Is this something I can do in
FrontPage? Ideally, I would like for the user to be able
to install the CD to his hard drive, but this would mean
allowing a limited number of copy events (maybe 2) from
the original CD before the copy function would be
disabled. Is this possible in FrontPage, or do I need to
consider some other CD authoring software package?

Thanks again for your help.

Ray Schneider

-----Original Message-----
Ray,

I don't believe that you'll find a way to stop the

copying of the CD. However consider protecting the content
itself by having the

purchaser use a registration code. The content on the CD

can still be viewed in the local browser but can not be
copied.look at what RunASP can do for you.

 

[Grey Newt]

Hi Ray,
I fear you are going to be disappointed.
Without buying professional copy-protection software it will be impossible to stop someone from copying the CD.
One option would be to investigate writing to the registry but this won't stop copying of the material but could restrict its running by more than one person on one PC. You would need to write a check procedure in the html code and then encrypt it so viewers cannot see the source.
Another technique is to embed the purchasers details in many places - so it pops up throught its running - but this means you must make bespoke copies or write a VB procedure to do it for you.
Or - as someone else has suggested - place the software on the web and allow users to download it with a password that you give them. To cater for multiple passwords you will need to use FP with data access or use a freely available java script to do the same sort of thing

 

[SBFan2000]

I think you should be aware that registration codes aren't secure either.
Most are easy to defeat and even if you can't defeat it there will be people
posting it on the net so that others can copy the CD. The sad fact of the
matter is its easy to defeat just about anything you can do to a CD.

 

[Grey Newt]

If you've got $30 - then maybe something like this
http://www.antssoft.com/htmlprotector/index.htm?ref=overture

I don't know or use the software - but maybe it comes close to giving you the features you require,....

 

[Terry Philips]

Hello

Despite what others may tell you, it is possible to distribute safely
on CD-ROMs or CD-Rs.
It is also possible to protect data files, such as html, images,
movies or PDF, also in cases where the original Browser must be used.

www.linkdata.com