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06-18-2013, 12:05 PM | #46 |
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Do it by inserting non-printable characters and you could "tag" each copy of the book in a non-invasive way. All popular book formats are based on HTML, and HTML ignores surplus carriage returns between paragraphs, to give a simple example.
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06-18-2013, 05:49 PM | #47 | |
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It also seems no different from when one of the ebook publishers used to link the licensing code to the CC used to buy the book online. Was that Fictionwise or ????? I actually do not see this as any different than watermarking. If the extra characters are there, even if encrypted, they can be extracted and altered or replaced with some other set that doesn't trip the alarm. To me it all goes back to the premise locking your front door does not stop anyone who wants to steal your goodies. All it does is piss off the amateurs who then make a bigger mess of things. Better to just get a moat and a few dozen hungry bandersnatch to guard the place. |
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06-18-2013, 06:37 PM | #48 |
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IIRC, Barnes and Nobel still does link your credit card with the DRM.
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06-18-2013, 08:14 PM | #49 | |
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With any kind of security you have to assume that your opponents know your algorithms. Anything else is security through obscurity which doesn't work. |
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06-18-2013, 08:32 PM | #50 |
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Wondering if many ebook typos and formatting errors aren't actually accidental.
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06-19-2013, 02:02 AM | #51 |
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06-19-2013, 09:09 AM | #52 |
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Yup...for hidden codes some forms of fractal type noise generation algorithm could conceivably be used but dang we are just talking about ebooks fer goodness sakes. Still watching this modern day keystone jobs that are publishers push to fear based reaction by the DRM providers would think it was War & Peace all over again...now think about adding MORE noise to War & Peace and it's enough to make on WANT to read Dan Brown. O:-)
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06-19-2013, 12:28 PM | #53 |
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This recalls another "DRM" scheme I've encountered, which is similar in spirit to this idea.
I enjoy listening to streamed interned radio when working at the computer. Most internet radio streams contain "metadata" about the track playing - song title and artist. So winamp, or whatever app you're running, will display the current song playing. A few years ago, I listened to a station that would, every 30 seconds or so, randomly change a single character in this track metadata. I think this was to thwart anyone trying to "pirate" the music by recording their stream and creating MP3s based on the track metadata. Such a pirate would just end up with a bunch of 30 second MP3s with slightly incorrect track data. |
06-19-2013, 08:09 PM | #54 |
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06-19-2013, 08:11 PM | #55 | |
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Tell more, that is a fascinating... |
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06-19-2013, 08:13 PM | #56 |
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06-19-2013, 08:35 PM | #57 | |
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Also, prosecutors frequently win weak cases. Also, the standard of proof is not beyond a shadow of a doubt. If eBook piracy was pursued as a civil matter, the standard of proof would merely be the proponderance of the evidence. Lastly, I'd hope the emphasis was on deterence rather than punishment. |
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06-19-2013, 09:24 PM | #58 |
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The idea involved making certain summary paragraphs (in an intel report) rather more lurid than usual so as to be almost irresistible to a newspaper getting a leaked documents. It was used for limited circulation documents (around 5-10 people) and the specific paragraphs were different in every copy of the document so if quoted it would pinpoint the person leaking the documents - neat idea which, of course, worked in the book. Think it was "Patriot Games" but not sure as it's years since I read it...
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06-21-2013, 03:13 PM | #59 |
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The thought of publishers messing with the author's work is unacceptable.
But if such system were implemented, it would be interesting to see which authors would agree to it and which would not. It would probably be a good indication of which authors are in for the money only and which care for the art itself. |
06-22-2013, 03:14 AM | #60 |
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This would work if the different alternatives were provided by the authors themselves. Provide alternative text in 30 different locations and you have potentially 1 billion (2^30 ~ 10^9) versions.
The method is, of course, trivial to defeat once you know it (and if you know at least some of the possible changes), so it would catch occasional pirates, but not "professional" ones. |
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