Anti-piracy watermark in e-books gets disassembled, it's a tiny barcode!

[Mivo]

If it's just an image on every page (I agree with Helen, that would conflict with my reading experience, because at least on the Glo images in epubs briefly flash when the page is assembled), it is trivial to remove as part of a conversion.

Basically, it's as "useful" as the other forms of DRM: both methods affect only those who don't liberate their books and don't distribute them. Those who liberate or distribute books (not the same by any means), can easily ditch either method.

[Alexander Turcic]

Originally Posted by Mivo

I agree with Helen, that would conflict with my reading experience, because at least on the Glo images in epubs briefly flash when the page is assembled

This particular watermark image is embedded by using the data URI scheme. It's used to embed resources in-line in the document, rather than linking to them as external resources. Perhaps this way it won't flash on your Glo? It's easy to check by creating your own ePub file with an embedded image.

[samy2]

The message is clear please download your ebook elsewhere. At least there no watermark point to you.

[Kumabjorn]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

Steganography...

That's a term I've not encountered before. I must look into that.

Steganography is the art of hiding messages in plain sight. One example is a live concert where a violin will play three false notes within a time span of one minute to send a message to an intelligence operator (done during WWII) or hiding puzzles inside paintings, common in the 17th and 18th centuries. The digital version of that is hiding something inside a large jpeg or avi file.

[Teknikal]

You have to feel sorry for the poor guy/gal who loses their ereader then gets swamped with hundreds of lawsuits I really think that's the only type of person they will ever find with something like this.

[speakingtohe]

When I lost my ereader on the bus reported it to the police and transit. I got it back thanks to some honest person and nothing identifiable was on it but library books.

I feel that the chances of someone finding it, keeping it and uploading the books on it are not that high but of course it could happen. They could De-DRM the library books and that could possibly point back to me. Reporting it would help I believe.

I just don't see hordes of pirates out there waiting to get their hot little hands on an ereader with books to upload. Too many other ways to get the books.

Helen

[samy2]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

When I lost my ereader on the bus reported it to the police and transit.

I don't know in which country you're living, but in my country the police will lough out loud and say they're not lost and found.

It all sounds like proactive alibi. Watermark mean if you pay for your ebooks you're an potential pirate.

[mr ploppy]

Originally Posted by Fallingwater

Would this not be defeated by a simple conversion to another format?

Or open the epub in WinZip or similar and delete the images?

[CommonReader]

They may stamp the ebook as much as they like, it's not going to help if people revert to pbooks and scanners.

[Xanthe]

Very true.

[6charlong]

Originally Posted by Mivo

If it's just an image on every page (I agree with Helen, that would conflict with my reading experience, because at least on the Glo images in epubs briefly flash when the page is assembled), it is trivial to remove as part of a conversion.

Basically, it's as "useful" as the other forms of DRM: both methods affect only those who don't liberate their books and don't distribute them. Those who liberate or distribute books (not the same by any means), can easily ditch either method.

The principle reason for removing DRM is to back up the books and to format shift when you get a reader that uses a different format. Watermarks allow you to do both without having to remove anything.

I have never loaned my paper books because I never seemed to get them back, and I don't loan my ebooks either since I have no way to fulfill my responsibility if I did. Until someone figures out how to manage the issue of first purchase with regard to eBooks watermarks seem to me to be the best answer to the problem I've seen yet.

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by samy2

I don't know in which country you're living, but in my country the police will lough out loud and say they're not lost and found.

It all sounds like proactive alibi. Watermark mean if you pay for your ebooks you're an potential pirate.

In Canada they probably chortle quietly to themselves but they do take lost and found reports. It is getting them to attend a robbery that is next to impossible

Helen

[cromag]

I don't know about a simple conversion getting rid of the barcodes, but if you stripped out all graphics I would think that would do it. Not all that difficult or time consuming

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by cromag

I don't know about a simple conversion getting rid of the barcodes, but if you stripped out all graphics I would think that would do it. Not all that difficult or time consuming

The strings can of course just be zapped by a search and replace option where the "replace" is left blank. This could be generalized by using a regular expression.

I'm sure there's also a possibility to get rid of "images within images" (see "Steganography" on Wikipedia) once it's known how the images are hidden. Then a script (possibly for ImageMagick) could do the trick. As of now, I haven't researched this, however.

After this, it would be possible to automatically remove DRM from the book if you combine the methods above with a library that can explode and then implode an EPUB. Calibre obviously has the capability already.

I feel an additional plugin is coming for inclusion into Alf's tools...

[calvin-c]

Originally Posted by 6charlong

I have never loaned my paper books because I never seemed to get them back, and I don't loan my ebooks either since I have no way to fulfill my responsibility if I did. Until someone figures out how to manage the issue of first purchase with regard to eBooks watermarks seem to me to be the best answer to the problem I've seen yet.

If you've never loaned your books how do you know whether you'd get them back or not? I'll assume you mean that you no longer loan your books.

I tend to agree with you about watermarks. They seem to me no worse than the stamping of a serial number inside the cover of a pbook, a practice that I've seen done (although only in a school). Yes, it's an invasion of privacy-but a very minor one considering all the other invasions that take place. My greater objection is how useless it is. I suppose it's like my kids-I'd prefer they not lie to me but if they're going to do it then my second choice is that they make it believable. At least that indicates intelligence even if it doesn't indicate ethics.