Medieval Copy Protection

nyrath · 08-20-2010, 05:54 PM

http://gotmedieval.blogspot.com/2010...rotection.html

Apparently DRM dates back to the Dark Ages

neilmarr · 08-21-2010, 04:40 AM

That is fascinating, Nyrath. Many thanks for the link. I've been in tihs game a long, long time and I'd never heard of 'book curses before'. Here's karma to ya for the enlightenment. Very best. Neil

AlexBell · 08-21-2010, 05:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neilmarr

That is fascinating, Nyrath. Many thanks for the link. I've been in tihs game a long, long time and I'd never heard of 'book curses before'. Here's karma to ya for the enlightenment. Very best. Neil

What he said.

Regards, Alex

amoroso · 08-21-2010, 05:44 AM

Despite a millennium worth of technological development, things didn't change much since then. Current copy protection systems are equally ineffective. There might be a pattern hidden somewhere.

FizzyWater · 08-21-2010, 10:52 PM

Ah...book curse.

I was thinking something simpler, like: kill all the scribes!

Ben Thornton · 08-22-2010, 07:00 AM

There are still similar things today, but they need to appeal to something other than a curse. Videos often start with scare/shaming tactics ("you wouldn't steal a car! ... etc." - I wonder whether they release these in Liverpool?), and some from indie producers start with appeals to your better nature ("please don't copy this, we're only little ..."). Sadly, the pirate copies simply miss these bits out (and all the other rubbish that they put in to annoy legitimate purchasers - bah!)

Smashwords books often start with some blurb asking you not to copy them (and at the end often too). Perhaps they should add a curse in.

GeoffC · 08-22-2010, 07:08 AM

Very interesting article, thanks for posting it ....

Adoby · 08-22-2010, 07:46 AM

I seem to remember a case where pages of a very old pirated book were poisoned. And unlicensed monks reading the book licked their fingers when turning pages, and so died horribly.

Current DRM-technologies have some way left to go...

nyrath · 08-22-2010, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adoby

I seem to remember a case where pages of a very old pirated book were poisoned. And unlicensed monks reading the book licked their fingers when turning pages, and so died horribly.

Current DRM-technologies have some way left to go...

Heh.
The poison-paged book made an appearance in the novel and movie THE NAME OF THE ROSE

nyrath · 08-22-2010, 08:17 AM

But the points made in this thread are very true: the motives on the part of some for copy protection are hundreds of years old, and apparently so is their lack of effectiveness.

HarryT · 08-22-2010, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nyrath

But the points made in this thread are very true: the motives on the part of some for copy protection are hundreds of years old, and apparently so is their lack of effectiveness.

But when it could quite literally be a lifetime's work for a monk to produce one copy of a book for a monastery library, books were objects almost without price, and their theft was regarded as a truly monstrous crime.

J. Strnad · 08-22-2010, 01:52 PM

These days, if you did put a curse on anyone pirating your book, and then someone actually died, you would probably be sued.

Jellby · 08-22-2010, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J. Strnad

These days, if you did put a curse on anyone pirating your book, and then someone actually died, you would probably be sued.

Quite true. You can actually be sued if you put some kind of "trap" against thieves in your house and a thief falls in it. I mean you can be sued and fined.

SensualPoet · 08-22-2010, 02:19 PM

These days, if someone pirated your book for "unlicensed redistribution", sales would likely go up!

Patricia Ryan · 08-22-2010, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nyrath

Heh.
The poison-paged book made an appearance in the novel and movie THE NAME OF THE ROSE

You mean someone besides me actually read that book? (And didn't just say they read it.) Great article. Thanks for posting about it!

08-20-2010, 05:54 PM	#1
nyrath Addict Posts: 281 Karma: 52007 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: nook	Medieval Copy Protection http://gotmedieval.blogspot.com/2010...rotection.html Apparently DRM dates back to the Dark Ages

08-22-2010, 07:46 AM	#8
Adoby Handy Elephant Posts: 1,736 Karma: 26785668 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Southern Sweden, far out in the quiet woods Device: Thinkpad E595, Ubuntu Mate, Huawei Mediapad 5, Bouye Likebook Plus	I seem to remember a case where pages of a very old pirated book were poisoned. And unlicensed monks reading the book licked their fingers when turning pages, and so died horribly. Current DRM-technologies have some way left to go... Last edited by Adoby; 08-22-2010 at 07:47 AM. Reason: speling fix

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08-21-2010, 04:40 AM	#2
neilmarr neilmarr Posts: 7,215 Karma: 6000059 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Monaco-Menton, France Device: sony	That is fascinating, Nyrath. Many thanks for the link. I've been in tihs game a long, long time and I'd never heard of 'book curses before'. Here's karma to ya for the enlightenment. Very best. Neil

08-21-2010, 05:44 AM	#4
amoroso Groupie Posts: 185 Karma: 1004070 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Italy Device: Kindle for Android, Google Play Books	Despite a millennium worth of technological development, things didn't change much since then. Current copy protection systems are equally ineffective. There might be a pattern hidden somewhere.

08-21-2010, 10:52 PM	#5
FizzyWater You kids get off my lawn! Posts: 4,220 Karma: 73492664 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Columbus, Ohio Device: Oasis 2 and Libra H2O and half a dozen older models I can't let go of	Ah...book curse. I was thinking something simpler, like: kill all the scribes!

08-22-2010, 07:00 AM	#6
Ben Thornton Guru Posts: 900 Karma: 779635 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: UK Device: Kindle 3, iPad 2 (but not for e-books)	There are still similar things today, but they need to appeal to something other than a curse. Videos often start with scare/shaming tactics ("you wouldn't steal a car! ... etc." - I wonder whether they release these in Liverpool?), and some from indie producers start with appeals to your better nature ("please don't copy this, we're only little ..."). Sadly, the pirate copies simply miss these bits out (and all the other rubbish that they put in to annoy legitimate purchasers - bah!) Smashwords books often start with some blurb asking you not to copy them (and at the end often too). Perhaps they should add a curse in.

08-22-2010, 07:08 AM	#7
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,599 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	Very interesting article, thanks for posting it ....

08-22-2010, 08:17 AM	#10
nyrath Addict Posts: 281 Karma: 52007 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: nook	But the points made in this thread are very true: the motives on the part of some for copy protection are hundreds of years old, and apparently so is their lack of effectiveness.

08-22-2010, 01:52 PM	#12
J. Strnad Guru Posts: 915 Karma: 3537194 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kobo, Kindle 3, Paperwhite	These days, if you did put a curse on anyone pirating your book, and then someone actually died, you would probably be sued.

08-22-2010, 02:19 PM	#14
SensualPoet Wizard Posts: 2,302 Karma: 2607151 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Toronto Device: Kobo Aura HD, Kindle Paperwhite, Asus ZenPad 3, Kobo Glo	These days, if someone pirated your book for "unlicensed redistribution", sales would likely go up!

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