Today, educational resources and forms of entertainment are more accessible than ever before. After all, the ebook industry has been designed by its electronic nature to be distributed and accessed across the internet.
Unlike ten years ago, anyone can effortlessly purchase or borrow books from their phone. E-books have provided people with access to millions of books, without ever needing to leave their homes. The conveniences modern technology has provided us with have changed our lives.
However, this convenience has come at a cost. Piracy is, unfortunately, not a victimless crime. Yet, millions of people continue to violate piracy laws and illegally obtain access to copyrighted material.
E-book Publishers: Balancing Accessibility and Copyright Protection
How can someone who sells online documents, such as an author or e-book publisher, make a living?
The answer is to add online security measures that protect their copyrighted material.
What online security measures are available? Which ones will stop consumers from violating copyright infringement laws?
Thankfully, there are many options available for those selling documents online to protect themselves from online copyright infringement.
Effective DRM Strategies for E-book Publishers
For those who publish e-books, protecting themselves from online pirates is vital to protecting their financial interests. Unlike printed books, e-books can be copied and shared with others with ease.
If e-book publishers want to receive an income, they implement online security measures to protect their copyrighted material. How do these security measures ensure that e-book publishers can make a living? How effective are they? For e-book publishers, answers to these questions are vital for the well-being of their business.
Time-Limited Access and Sampling
Thankfully for e-book publishers, there are effective methods of preventing copyright infringement. With ebook DRM (Digital Rights Management), publishers have several options to secure their income while still serving the interests of consumers.
One way of doing this is by allowing consumers access to the documents for free, but only during a chosen time frame or up until a certain number of pages. This method is similar to how books are sold in bookstores: customers read a few pages of a book to decide if they should purchase it, but they don’t read the whole book while they’re at the store. The consumer is more likely to purchase the product, which increases profits.
Device Restriction and Geographic Controls
Using e-book DRM, publishers can feel confident that their content is secured from online piracy, enabling them to control which devices have access to their protected e-books. Publishers can also restrict access to specific areas or locations.
By doing so, it prevents an e-book from being accessed by someone else, potentially in a foreign country, who isn’t legally allowed to access it. This also eliminates the possibility of someone purchasing the e-book through the publisher and then sharing or selling it to people around the world.
Not only is it integral that ebook publishing companies protect themselves from copyright infringement, but it’s also imperative that online educational courses and resources are protected too.
Companies that provide students and educators with access to educational resources have changed the lives of students around the world. However, the material is quite costly to produce and update.
To first construct the educational resources, the company must have a team of experienced instructors who specialize in explaining complex subjects in a manner students can understand.
In addition, training courses must be completed to comply with the requirements of CPD (Continuing Professional Development) within each profession. If those companies disregard the potential for piracy, they could lose millions, if not billions, of dollars in revenue.
Educational Institutions and Costly Consequences of Piracy
As every student knows, textbooks are often quite costly. If a student were to discover they could receive access to textbooks for free, more likely than not, they would take advantage of that opportunity.
A group of students could easily divide the cost of a textbook among themselves and share screenshots or printed copies of the pages. While the group of students saves money, businesses are then robbed of their well-earned profits.
DRM Solutions for Educational Resources
How can DRM protect educational resources from copyright infringement? DRM can prevent users from taking a screenshot or copying the material. If someone is unable to take a screenshot or copy the material, it will become onerous for them to share it with unauthorized users.
DRM also prevents material from being printed so that it cannot be shared with unauthorized users. Dynamic watermarks displaying user information also deter people from copying the material, as it will be obvious who distributed it.
Empowering Libraries with DRM for Digital Lending
DRM is also essential for libraries to control digital lending. As interest in online material grows, many libraries have made adjustments to meet the needs of their users, including offering access to e-books.
When users can access library materials online, the risk of copyright infringement incessantly increases. Yet, if libraries prevent e-book access for their users, then it becomes more difficult for them to access information. This places libraries between a rock and a hard place as they fend against piracy offenders.
Balancing Access and Copyright Protection: Libraries’ Dilemma
Many people don’t realize that libraries retain a responsibility to account for each copyrighted book read each year. If there are missing or damaged books, the library is responsible for ensuring that these items are replaced. Whether people realize it or not, when someone copies an e-book borrowed from the library, they are stealing from the library.
To ensure that libraries can continue to serve communities for years to come, libraries should have online security measures in place. With those in place, they can ensure that they have the resources available to continue serving users online.
Some security options would include denying access to printing, adding expiration or return dates, and adding watermarks. Libraries can then protect themselves from piracy and continue to serve communities for years to come.
Securing a Bright Future: DRM Ensuring Sustainable Income
For those who sell documents online, protecting their work from piracy is of great concern. Certain companies, such as e-book publishing companies, are at high risk of falling victim to online piracy.
If the necessary security measures are not in place, those companies risk not generating enough revenue. Using DRM can ensure they will generate the necessary income to make a living.
