newbie struggling to protect ebook using PERL

Hi, I wonder if anyone might be good enough to give me the benefit of
their wisdom.

I have written one ebook, and am writing another. These consist of
HTML pages compiled into an .exe, using Activ Ebook software.

I want to protect these from pirating and also be able to "turn them
off" in the case that the purchasing obtains a refund from Clickbank.
To do this I intended to produce ebooks with a unique number. When the
ebook opens a HTML page calls a Perl script on my website which
searches a file for the number of that ebook. If it is valid, the
ebook can be opened and read. It is has been listed as invalid, the
ebook cannot be read.

I was going to have page 1 call a Perl script, and if the ebook is
listed as valid the script could write links at the bottom of the page
to enable the reader to access the next page. If it was invalid, the
links would not be written and so the reader could not advance.
Trouble is, the script is on my website, so the links then point to
page 2 on my web site's domain, rather than page 2 back in the
reader's ebook. So the links don't work.

Then I thought I could use the perl script to write a cookie to the
reader's computer. The ebook html page could use JavaScript to read
the cookie, and so write links to the next page or give no further
access to the ebook.

Trouble is, if the cookie is written from my web site domain, the
ebook html page won't read the cookie (although the same page, copied
to my web site, can open and read the cookie).

Anyone got any ideas how I can do this? Please, keep it simple, I am
not experienced in either Perl or JavaScript.

Thanks.

Kerry Green.
hermit_au@yahoo.com

Re: newbie struggling to protect ebook using PERL

In message
K. Green wrote:

> Anyone got any ideas how I can do this? Please, keep it simple, I am
> not experienced in either Perl or JavaScript.

You're not experienced in marketting either. "Buy my e-books. You can only
read them when you are on-line" doesn't sound to me like the greatest
advertising idea.

Ken Down

--
================ ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIGGINGS ===============
| Australia's premier archaeological magazine |
| http://www.diggingsonline.com |
========================================================

Re: newbie struggling to protect ebook using PERL

Well, no, but "buy my ebooks - or get them for free from all over the
place - or better yet, buy them, get a refund, keep the ebook" seems
like poor marketing as well.

I may not be great at marketing, but I have earned thousands from my
first commercial ebook. I intend to secure my second one way or
another.

But thanks for your opinion.


On Tue, 09 Jan 2007 18:13:21 GMT, Kendall K. Down
wrote:

>In message
> K. Green wrote:
>
>> Anyone got any ideas how I can do this? Please, keep it simple, I am
>> not experienced in either Perl or JavaScript.
>
>You're not experienced in marketting either. "Buy my e-books. You can only
>read them when you are on-line" doesn't sound to me like the greatest
>advertising idea.
>
>Ken Down

Re: newbie struggling to protect ebook using PERL

In fact, with my experience in marketing ebooks, whilst the necessity
of requiring an internet connection will no doubt be an annoyance, I
doubt very much that it would have any negative effect on sales at
all. This has been done before. People may not like it, but if it is
the only way they can get the information, they will put up with it.
Most people are online most of the time anyway.

Further, because there will be no illegal copies, I think it will in
fact have a positive effect on sales. Those that want the ebook, but
can't get an illegal copy, will pay up. Those that buy the ebook, get
a refund, and find that they no longer can access the ebook, will have
to buy it again if they want the information.

I am not publishing light-weight dime-a-dozen common-sense ebooks;
mine have specialist information difficult to obtain elsewhere.

So, is there anyone who doesn't think they know everything about
everything and wants to sit in judgement on my business, who can offer
some helpful information on the script I need?

Kerry Green



On Wed, 10 Jan 2007 17:28:38 +1000, K. Green
wrote:

>Well, no, but "buy my ebooks - or get them for free from all over the
>place - or better yet, buy them, get a refund, keep the ebook" seems
>like poor marketing as well.
>
>I may not be great at marketing, but I have earned thousands from my
>first commercial ebook. I intend to secure my second one way or
>another.
>
>But thanks for your opinion.
>
>
>On Tue, 09 Jan 2007 18:13:21 GMT, Kendall K. Down
> wrote:
>
>>In message
>> K. Green wrote:
>>
>>> Anyone got any ideas how I can do this? Please, keep it simple, I am
>>> not experienced in either Perl or JavaScript.
>>
>>You're not experienced in marketting either. "Buy my e-books. You can only
>>read them when you are on-line" doesn't sound to me like the greatest
>>advertising idea.
>>
>>Ken Down

Re: newbie struggling to protect ebook using PERL

In message
K. Green wrote:

> I may not be great at marketing, but I have earned thousands from my
> first commercial ebook. I intend to secure my second one way or
> another.

Oh well, hearty congratulations - but I'll not be among your customers, nor
will anyone who wants to read on an iPod (as my son does) or on a mobile
phone (which I believe is possible). I'm all for protecting your product, I
just don't think that requiring the purchaser to be on-line at the time of
use is terribly practical.

Ken Down

--
================ ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIGGINGS ===============
| Australia's premier archaeological magazine |
| http://www.diggingsonline.com |
========================================================

Re: newbie struggling to protect ebook using PERL

You may be pleased to know that I have finally done it, using Perl and
Activ Script, which is a part of the ebook compiler software.


On Wed, 10 Jan 2007 17:29:39 GMT, Kendall K. Down
wrote:

>In message
> K. Green wrote:
>
>> I may not be great at marketing, but I have earned thousands from my
>> first commercial ebook. I intend to secure my second one way or
>> another.
>
>Oh well, hearty congratulations - but I'll not be among your customers, nor
>will anyone who wants to read on an iPod (as my son does) or on a mobile
>phone (which I believe is possible). I'm all for protecting your product, I
>just don't think that requiring the purchaser to be on-line at the time of
>use is terribly practical.
>
>Ken Down

Re: newbie struggling to protect ebook using PERL

In message
Kevin wrote:

> You may be pleased to know that I have finally done it, using Perl and
> Activ Script, which is a part of the ebook compiler software.

Congratulations. Do readers have to be on-line?

Ken Down

--
================ ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIGGINGS ===============
| Australia's premier archaeological magazine |
| http://www.diggingsonline.com |
========================================================

Re: newbie struggling to protect ebook using PERL

in my opinion, requiring a product activation is probobly the best
solution here, While yes the user will need to be online at the time of
activation. This will only need to be done once.

since the ebock is compiled, Im sure you can work a little magic into
seeing if its activated. else it trys to activate its self. At which
time your server will recieve the request and if that product has
already been activated by someone, simply return a failure notification
to the requester.

I would accually do this in the installer personally, this way the
installer can set flags like is_activated = TRUE;

maybe im missing exactly what your product consists of, but thats about
how Id go about it.

its not 100% fullproof, but if your targeting windows platforms ou can
check against registry keys too to further help. on other platforms
youd have to find something else to tie too.. and i dont think theres
alot of options there.

theres my 2 cents.