Quote:
Originally Posted by Hellmark
It is insanely easy to hide data in ways that it isn't visible. Think of it as meta-metadata. Metadata, as you normally think of it, is data that doesn't display visually but is still in an area of the file that you can easily parse through. Now, say if the file's information (and traditional metadata) says the the end of file is at a specific spot, there's nothing that restricts you from putting info in past that spot. Certain image files are really bad about doing that. You can have an image that opens up and appears perfectly normal, but it has extra stuff shoehorned in to where your image editors cannot see or touch it.
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I know it'd be easy to put a hidden watermark in; I wasn't sure how useful that'd be, unless Rowling plans on getting rich(er) by prosecuting teenager for sharing files.
But then it occurred to me that they could put in two kinds of watermarks: a hidden bit of metadata for tracking bootlegs, and a section of the front page that says "This ebook belongs to [username], who bought it on [date]."
A site with a single focus can afford to customize the epubs like that; a simple script could add the buyer's name. That would encourage sales among people who already have the unauthorized versions, because this way they'll get a personal copy. It could even convince people who'd gotten a copy from a friend or family member to buy their own.