Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
NEED to copy protect downloadable clips
- Thread starter Swope
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
If you stream the movies (I don't mean the QuickTime fast-start/progressive stuff, but real streaming), it will be troublesome enough to capture and save the video that most people won't bother. That's about as good as you would get with encryption-style DRM anyway.
I was thinking the same, but he said downloadable.iMeowbot said:
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/technologies/streaming/
Another old style DRM that is enough to discourage most people is to have the link you click on be one of those short "pointer" movies (I know there's a real name for this, but can't think of it now) that really is just a link to the real movie that is on your website. The goal here is to make sure they are getting it from your site and not downloading the whole movie.
EDIT: Something like http://web.archive.org/web/20050214113620/http://quicktiming.org/tutorials/drm.php
B
Yep, in QuickTimese those are called reference movies. Often, those in turn point at streams, it depends on what you're trying to accomplish.balamw said:
If you want real DRM, you would really need to sign on with a service that supports this. If a file can be downloaded, then it can be copied freely, that's simply the nature of the beast. The only practical way to do DRM with downloaded files is with some kind of license server so you can control it at playback time. That's not something that a codec alone is really going to accomplish for you.Swope said:
I should also point out that if you choose to go with DRM on WMV, the videos will not play back on Macs. The player software doesn't support it. That's why most popular video sites are windows only.
This is about all you will get from Apple. Disabling the save controls is what is used, for example, in AOL video downloads. This really doesn't do anything to prevent direct downloading and copying, it just makes it so that the QuickTime Player won't help. It's very easy to circumvent this by showing the source of the page where the video is embedded.Swope said:
There is a real DRM system built into QuickTime, of course, but it's set up so that it can only be used by the iTunes store.
(On the positive side, now you can say you understand first-hand what all the fuss over Apple's refusal to license FairPlay is all about
)
You can still disable saving from QuickTime when you encode the movies, but this is pointless because the file can still be copied with the Finder, retransmitted over the Internet, whatever the user wants. Hiding the controls only really slows down copying if you're offering the movies for viewing directly on a Web page.Swope said:
Simply put, copy protection is not an option for you if you're distributing movies via download. Note that iTunes and all the WMA-based download services don't even really try to prevent copying downloads, because it doesn't work. They either stream or rely on playback protection. That brings you full circle back to the DRM server and compatibility issues mentioned earlier in the thread
(These are exactly the issues that have made entertainment companies reluctant to jump into Internet distribution. If you're not ready to make the leap to trust most customers to do the right thing, your distribution options are going to be severely limited.)
Swope said:
Is the third party an individual or an organization?
If they are an organization, why not simply use a legal contract? Few organizations in developed countries will be willing to breach the contract or let their employees do so.
As others have said, DRM requires paying a specialist company for the use of their DRM technology. This isn't cheap, doesn't work 100% and tends to restrict playback to Windows PCs. If a computer can play the media, it can copy it - DRM just tires to make it difficult for the naive user to do this.
A little research into the various technologies such as Apple's fairplay and those used by Sony BMG will show that DRM is a flawed way to try to protect copyright. Legal documents are much more effective, cheaper and less likely to alienate your customers. DRM has become synonymous with viruses and malware among the technically literate.
Christ you guys are good.
Thanks
For the bad news.
I am curious-what are the going rates for drm on wmv clips if someone was in the same situation as I but had their files already in wmv and worked on a PC. ?
Thanks again-I joined 4 other forums trying to get an intelligent answer.
Can I offer you a free clip?
Thanks
For the bad news.
I am curious-what are the going rates for drm on wmv clips if someone was in the same situation as I but had their files already in wmv and worked on a PC. ?
Thanks again-I joined 4 other forums trying to get an intelligent answer.
Can I offer you a free clip?
Don't think it works that way. As iMeowbot suggested, Windows Media DRM (or any DRM that provides sufficient deterrence to copying) is a system you need to have in place, rather than something you think of on a per file basis. You might need to consider a partner, such as http://www.ezdrm.com. (No relationship, they just seem like the most approachable on the list).Swope said:
Here are some links where you can get more info on the subject:
Digital Rights Management (DRM)
Windows Media DRM Partners
Windows Media DRM FAQ
B
Even though many in the MacRumors community seem have an irrational hatred of Real Networks, you would also to well to check out companies that provide Helix DRM. The advantage is that you can use reasonably standard stuff like MPEG 4, and the DRM will allow playback on both Mac and Windows (probably Linux too). One such provider is powermedia.com - not an endorsement, just a starting point. You may also want to poke around in Helix Community, they have a bunch of propaganda and also some mailing lists where you might ask around for bidders.