Make the files available through a Secure Web site. Then they can track both who is logging in and from where. If you see suspect activity, then you can shut off access to the offender. This is how we do some secure tracking here. Basically, you need to track both who is logging in, and where they are logging in from. eg Login id and password, and ip address. Then you can see that John Doe has logged in 15 times, request the same title 13 times, and has done so from 13 different ip addresses. HHHMMM This would set off all kinds of alarm bells for me. especially if it is also noticed that John Doe is doing this all within a small time window. -> How did John Doe access the file from 13 different IP addresses, in the time that it took to basically download one copy of the title in question? -> Why does John Doe need 13 copies of the title in question? -> Why do the 13 different IP Addresses show up as being registered to someone other then John Doe? -> Why do 12 of the 13 IP Addresses appear to be not from the basic same geographical region as John Doe? -> Why do 12 of the 13 IP addresses appear to be different then the one typically used by John Doe? ETC. Other advantages to this approach is that a given title can be made available to the requestor for a given period of time. Allowing them only a small time window to grab the file. This approach can also be done through a regular Web site, but it is much harder to track who is actually grabbing the desired title. Ok, this addresses the getting of the files for the user. How ever once the file is in the hands of the user, I believe that then the responsibility of the user to stay within the copy right laws regardless of where they reside. Step away from the Braille community for a second, and imagine: A person walks into a book store, and purchases a book. This person has free access to a photo copier. This person photo copies the book that they bought at the book store. This person then gives the photo copied book to whoever wants it. Who is breaking the copy right law in this scenario? Now ask the question, "how is this any different then preventing a Braille version of a title from the same unscrupulous person?" It isn't! As long as you can prove that best efforts were made to prevent copy right violations from happening, I believe that you are protected regardless of where you reside. Stephen Dawes <B.A., B.Sc.> Management Systems Analyst CITO Office, Information Technology #8245 | Phone: (403) 268-5527 The City of Calgary | Fax: (403) 268-2546 PO Box 2100 Postal Station M. | Email: Stephen.Dawes@xxxxxxxxxx Calgary, Alberta, Canada. T2P 2M5 | Web: http://www.Calgary.ca <http://www.Calgary.ca> NOTICE - This communication is intended ONLY for the use of the person or entity named above and may contain information that is confidential or legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient named above or a person responsible for delivering messages or communications to the intended recipient, YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that any use, distribution, or copying of this communication or any of the information contained in it is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by telephone and then destroy or delete this communication, or return it to us by mail if requested by us. The City of Calgary thanks you for your attention and cooperation. _____ From: duxuser-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:duxuser-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of George Bell Sent: 2005 April 01 8:38 AM To: duxuser@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [duxuser] Re: Security issue Hi Eakachai This is a very difficult problem indeed. May I ask what country you are from? One possible solution that springs to mind is to perhaps zip the files up, but zip with a password. Students would then apply to you for a password. However, this would not stop a student passing on the unzipped documents. Depending on your country's laws, you might be able to make a clear statement of copyright, and additionally make it clear that anyone copying the material for financial gain would be liable to prosecution. However, you would then require to actually prosecute a few offenders in order to send a real message out. Does anyone else have any ideas? George. _____ From: duxuser-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:duxuser-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Eakachai Charoenchaimonkon Sent: 25 March 2005 01:36 To: duxuser@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [duxuser] Security issue Dear listers, My office is responsible for distributing electronic Braille student-book via Internet. I'm facing with a crucial problem regarding security and copyright. Commonly, I can't upload original *.dxb files on my official website. We prefer to convert all files into *.brf and ignore graphics braille unavoidably. Now we still confront a problem that some NGOs in my country who are currently coping with education for visually impaired students. We discover that they copy our files and remove my publishing text in order to claim for their profit. Once I was advised to run the header text separately for the odd and even pages. For example, header text on the left hand side may say "the title of the book", while the right hand say "published by my office name". This solution is not possible in Duxbury. Please give us some advices the way we can deal with this problem. With my best regards Eakachai _____ This Message has been scanned for viruses by McAfee Groupshield.