how to limit use of downloads

[hellobob]

<p>I'm a theater photographer and I sell photos of the shows I photograph on my Smugmug hosted website.I want to create a promotion so that anyone who buys either an 8x10 print or a certain dollar amount can then download at a promo price the complete show from which they have made a purchase. After they make the purchase, I would send them a code in order to download the complete show for a promotional and reasonable price. Does anyone operate like this or does anyone have any suggestions as to how to protect the downloads so that one person who buys the downloads does not pass on the downloads to anyone else? As I see it now, if Mr. Jones buys the photo and then qualifies to buy whole show at a low price, they could just pass on the downloads to anyone else bypassing my rightful sale.<br>

Any suggestions or ideas as to how you might or do this type of a promo and safeguard your work?</p>

[Charles_Webster]

<p>Short of encrypting the downloads themselves and using a sophisticated one-time password scheme, there's probably no way to do what you wish.<br>

Just like protecting photos posted to here, or any other web site. If it's on the 'net It Can Be Stolen.<br>

You can do it contractually but you'll spend more money on lawyers than you'll likely ever recover.<br>

Sorry</p>

 

[Matt Laur]

<p>One someone is in possession of usable (to them) image files, that horse is out of the barn. You cannot control the physical reproduction and transmission of those files by your customer as he shares them (or re-sells them!) to somebody else. Your only recourse is after the fact enforcement through copyright claim. Charge enough that you don't care about the inevitable abuse, or consider heavily watermarking the artificially cheap/free extras with your own promotional logo and copyright reminder language. There really isn't anything else you can do except make the purchaser walk through an agreement process that is so draconian, and so frightening that while it might deter some piracy it will probably also deter some business. </p>

[hellobob]

<p>Yes, this is all what I expected to hear. The old honor system will have to apply.</p>

[mark_davidson1]

<p>Offering a premium of files should be made only if a substantial purchase is made IMO.<br>

Sending them all the files of a show after a modest purchase encourages low-ballers.<br>

These days prints are seen as expensive and limited in usefulness.<br>

Files are the real goal even with the technically inept. Giving away the real product while trying to sell the unwanted product seems like a recipe for small revenue.</p>