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        Our Products >> EBooksWriter  >>  limit to X days after initial opening,or number of
        
(Message started by: Staum on Feb 3^rd, 2008, 6:14am)

Title: limit to X days after initial opening,or number of
Post by Staum on Feb 3^rd, 2008, 6:14am

We have reviewed your ebookwriter lite and checked the upgraded ebookwriter products on your site, but am going to have to 'pass'.
What we are trying to do is protect pdf content from theft. We had to shut down a PDF section of our site. .. We realize we have to move to another format.
We want the user to be able to read the ebook (no password), but be limited by 1) number of openings (optional), and 2) number of days after initial opening (optional). After the limitation is reached, then request a donation to unlock via a purchased password.

Another point is that we see no ability to link Paypal for the shopping cart.

Or are we missing something(s)?

At present we are using an ebook compiler for our in-house works, but building the html is very time consuming. We are hoping to move the works to your format, and decrease more 'overhead'. Two programs to one.
Can you advice?

Title: Re: limit to 15 days after initial opening
Post by Support Staff on Feb 3^rd, 2008, 6:25am

What you can do with EBooksWriter is to offer (say) 5 pages free and the rest pass-protected. Usually this is effective. Daytime limits are not too much effective nowadays (for several reasons).

For the shopping cart, I think we need to clarify: we provide an internal shopping cart in case the ebook itself is a product catalog, and within the ebook you'd like to show items you sell in your store (e.g. the ebook is actually a catalog of music CDs, car parts, travels, vacations, etc.). The internal s.c. so is not a way to sell your ebook.
By the way, within a EBooksWriter's ebook you can insert any link you'd like, so even a PayPal buy link, if you'd like. Nobody forbids you to. We do not highlight this as for us it's not a "special" feature (a PayPal buy link is a link just like any other link... just more long and complicated :-) ). You can place a button with this link within the 5 free pages (an image of a button, then right click the image; make sure you installed the free plug-in for long links from www.visualvision.com/plugin/ as you probably will need a very long link ).
Actually we do this for our buy links within our EBW's internal "quick manual" that's actually... an ebook :) , and this works (actually we direct the user to www.ebookswriter.com/buy/ so we are able to show all options, but you can put the direct PayPal link).

I think EBooksWriter would be a good idea for you: it's an all-in-one software is optimized for speed, and, after the initial effort that an original interface may require, it is really easy to use.
What you have to decide is if you'd like to consider using a "pages limit" (you may left unprotected some table of contents and some significant pages, and by the way the electronic format do welcome short pages so you may always divide an interesting topic in several and several pages, and just show the first one for free...) instead of the "day limit".

By the way a "day limit" option is not provided for a very important technical reason: the encryption that we use do *require* the password: without the password the ebook content is just scattered bytes, even if you do any reverse engineering attempt. An ebook "ok to read" for say 30 days (or "ok" for 3 readings / uses, that's the same thing), would require a more weak protection, where the password is not actually needed for de-encryption but just for the access (as you can read for 30 days without pass... or you can read 3 times without pass... this simply means that it must be readable without pass...). Technically this is weak as this means the ebook would be not encrypted, actually. In plain English, you would replace a 100000 miles labyrinth with a simple door.

Ok a bit long reply but I think this explains why there is not a feature that could seem "basic" for the novice (but that's actually a no-no for the security) :)

Title: Re: limit to X days after initial opening,or numbe
Post by librum on Feb 3^rd, 2008, 7:03am

That is my original post/comment and thanks for replying and inviting me into the forums.

"What you can do with EBooksWriter is to offer (say) 5 pages free and the rest pass-protected."

This is not what we need. Correction, not what I am told we need. (sigh). The 'trial before' is mandated from 'above'.

And this also means we must stay with two softwares. Yours for the ex-pdf, and the LOTER adopted (unnamed) for our own works.

Drats.

Thank you for the clarification of the shopping cart. That would make for an interesting option, we do have quite a collection of works, perhaps a catalog would be useful.

But again, thanks for replying. The search must continue. :'(

Sarah
of the Librum

Title: Re: limit to X days after initial opening,or numbe
Post by Support Staff on Feb 3^rd, 2008, 8:12am

Well, at least now you have some good points you should tell to "above" :-).

After all, I understand you want to make a change because you want to increase security.
As you now understand, a X days trial would NOT increase security (this is not just for EbooksWriter, any other product you may use can not securely protect a thing this way, for the reason provided above: if it can be read without pass for N days/times, then it can be read without pass)

Good luck anyway ;)