[maric]

Hi:

Here is what I am trying to do. I want to build a website for my book in which the full text can be read online but you must purchase a printable Acrobat file for $5.00 if you want a hardcopy.

My first question is how do I go about setting up a paypal or credit card transaction to download the file?

The other is how do I keep people from just printing off my pages or copying the text into microsoft word?

I figure I can make the background black, which would eat up a lot of print cartrige, making the $5.00 download more desireable, or set the page width wide enought that it won't format correctly for printing. Will either of these work? Also I remember visiting a website once in which you could not cut and paste any of the text. Any idea how I can do that?

Thanks.

[datahound]

Use a pdf (Adobe Acrobat format) for the book, free convertors from word are available. This will stop people copy pasting the text. (Google: free pdf convertor)

As for Payapl pmts I recommend you get an account if you don't already have one, login and read the extensive and easily understandable tutorials. What you want can be done with a simple button you can create using the Paypal button creator wizard.

[pgo]

Originally Posted by maric

Hi:

Here is what I am trying to do. I want to build a website for my book in which the full text can be read online but you must purchase a printable Acrobat file for $5.00 if you want a hardcopy.

My first question is how do I go about setting up a paypal or credit card transaction to download the file?

The other is how do I keep people from just printing off my pages or copying the text into microsoft word?

I figure I can make the background black, which would eat up a lot of print cartrige, making the $5.00 download more desireable, or set the page width wide enought that it won't format correctly for printing. Will either of these work? Also I remember visiting a website once in which you could not cut and paste any of the text. Any idea how I can do that?

Thanks.

Simple answer: If you want to copy-protect something don't put it on the web.

Have you thought of posting samples from the book on a website and then linking to the full PDF, which costs $5. Carrot and stick.

[Transmogrify]

Originally Posted by maric

Hi:

My first question is how do I go about setting up a paypal or credit card transaction to download the file?

Hi,

Look on the paypal site, it'll tell you exactly how to make a "buy this" button or an "add to cart" button to add to your site. It's easy enough

Originally Posted by maric

The other is how do I keep people from just printing off my pages or copying the text into microsoft word?

I figure I can make the background black, which would eat up a lot of print cartrige, making the $5.00 download more desireable, or set the page width wide enought that it won't format correctly for printing. Will either of these work? Also I remember visiting a website once in which you could not cut and paste any of the text. Any idea how I can do that?

Thanks.

Use high resolution images, but they'll be able to print it off. Why don't you want them to print it off? Or copy the text?

[pgo]

I think he's just trying to protect what he's done. And he should realize that when it comes to the web, it's really not possible. The nature of digital technology is to duplicate. It's the nature of the game. If you can't live with it - try print. It's safer.

[dan]

Bar them new fandangled photocopier thingies.

[pgo]

Except photocopying a whole book takes forever, looks like shit, and usually isn't bound. Unlike digital copies which are lossless for the most part.

[maric]

Hello again, and thanks for the responses thus far.

I thought about putting excerpts of the book online and then having people pay to download the complete version, but I think it will sell better if the whole thing is online, and people pay to print it off, so they don’t have to read the whole thing at the computer. I realize it’s probably impossible to prevent everyone from just copying it, but I figure if I can at least make it difficult, and sell the download cheap enough ($5.00) they will figure, what the hell, and just buy it. That’s my thinking at least. Eventually I would like to publish it as a real book but I’m new to that too and still learning.

I remember visiting some other website once, and it had this feature, that if I tried to highlight anything it popped up a warning that the material was copywrited and it disabled my mouse’s ability to cut and past from the site. I’m not sure what the website was anymore and I don’t know how they did it, but that’s what I would like to do. Any ideas?

[datahound]

There are scripts that do stop people right clicking to copy text but it is no way foolproof, there are ways around it. Try google: javascript no right click

Have you looked at the .pdf option? You cannot copy the text from pdf and they are viewable in the web browser.

[pgo]

Those "no-right-click" and "no-selecting-text" JavaScripts are a bad idea for two reasons: First, because they break the normal behavior of the browser and second because they are easily defeated by turning off JavaScript.

[Transmogrify]

Originally Posted by maric

Hello again, and thanks for the responses thus far.

I thought about putting excerpts of the book online and then having people pay to download the complete version, but I think it will sell better if the whole thing is online, and people pay to print it off, so they don’t have to read the whole thing at the computer. I realize it’s probably impossible to prevent everyone from just copying it, but I figure if I can at least make it difficult, and sell the download cheap enough ($5.00) they will figure, what the hell, and just buy it. That’s my thinking at least. Eventually I would like to publish it as a real book but I’m new to that too and still learning.

I remember visiting some other website once, and it had this feature, that if I tried to highlight anything it popped up a warning that the material was copywrited and it disabled my mouse’s ability to cut and past from the site. I’m not sure what the website was anymore and I don’t know how they did it, but that’s what I would like to do. Any ideas?

Here's a suggestion -

You put your book online as a PDF file which someone buys. When they buy the ebook, you put their name in the book on i dunno, every page as a footer or on the front page. At least with that, you'll know if Joe Bloggs who has bought your ebook is distributing it. Then you can protect the document to stop any changes to it. While someone will get round it, most people won't be bothered enough to do so.

[maric]

Thanks for the good ideas. That javascript disable right click sounds like what I was looking for. I figured it wasn't full proof but I imagine the average person won't know how to disable their javascript and if they want the book will just pay the 5 bucks.

PGO; you said the javascript disrupts the normal behavior of the browser and that's bad. What can happen?

Datahound; about the PDF option, is there a way to have people view the book on PDF but not print it, unless they buy it?

Transmogriphy; that idea about putting the buyers name on the bottom of each page sounds like a brilliant idea. What would one have to do to get the buyers name to automatically go there?

[pgo]

Originally Posted by maric

PGO; you said the javascript disrupts the normal behavior of the browser and that's bad. What can happen?

Right-clicking and selecting text are both normal functions of the browser. The JavaScript disrupts those actions, therefore disrupting the normal browser behavior.

[Transmogrify]

Originally Posted by maric

Transmogriphy; that idea about putting the buyers name on the bottom of each page sounds like a brilliant idea. What would one have to do to get the buyers name to automatically go there?

Maric, not sure off hand but it can probably be done programmatically somehow. I'll find out..