How to protect photo CDs from being copied?

Question

I recently started a photography buisness. I wasn't going to, but due to high demand I have decided to sell CDs with print releases. My question is, how to I protect the CD from being copied to other CDs but still allow the customer to print the image. I just don't want someone to buy the CD and make several copies of it. Also how do you protect the images from being edited? I've already had one customer ask if she can make changes to the image once it's on the CD.

Answer 1

You can not protect them. If you are giving them a print release, they need to be able to copy the images from the CD anyway. As to protection of CD duplication, even big companies like sony can not encrypt DVD's and have them cracked before the DVD's are even released. If you are giving them a disk at the end, I highly suggest you find a recommend a high quality lab to your clients. If they get crap results (and they will) at places like walgreens/costco/walmart, you will not look like a good photographer (just the way the ball rolls).

Answer 2

Bottom line, once the photos are out there, they're out there. You can post a copyright notice on the CD caption for each photo (along with registering with the US Copyright Office), and hope that your customers will do the right thing.



Let your customer know that the photo is copyrighted and cannot be changed. If she wants changes, she can hire you to do it.

Answer 3

that's impossible. imaging software can reproduce any cd, especially one that just holds data. just charge a lot for cds.

as for editing, they would have to be copied onto rewritable memory, like a hard drive. you cant save something back to a cd-r after it's been burned.

Answer 4

Once it leaves your hands, it is out there in the world. The best you can do is limit the image resolution and add watermarks to proofs.