# CD/DVD Copy Protection Software

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-dvd-copy-protection-software/370002>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 24, 2006, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-dvd-copy-protection-software/370002 "2006-08-24T04:40:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![stanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@stanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stanger)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2006, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-dvd-copy-protection-software/370002/1 "2006-08-24T04:40:02Z")

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I do some automotive mechanical rebuilding for a living and have been thinking about making a “How-To” manual about certain operations and distributing them on CD or DVD. The information would probably be in a PDF text/picture format, maybe a PowerPoint format, probably with some video clips along the way.

Of course, if I go to all this trouble, I want to keep anyone who buys the CD/DVD from making copies or distributing the information over the internet, such as a peer-to-peer network. Just having a password required would not do any good if the disk or files can still be copied and distributed. I don’t need a super-duper encription program - just something to prevent the normal buyer from sharing the information on the disk with other people.

I know there are programs out there that put copy protection on the disk, but many of them are designed for disks with games, software and executable programs. I am thinking that someone here on The Dope has personally used a certain copy protection program that they are familiar with and can recommend.

Any recommendations or advice would be appreciated 😃

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**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2006, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-dvd-copy-protection-software/370002/2 "2006-08-24T10:40:21Z")

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If you want to make a DVD-Video disc, the disc replicator can add standard DVD encryption. You can put other content on the disc in a separate directory, but I don’t think that the DVD encryption will affect them.

Given that just about any standard copy-protection program can be cracked, I wouldn’t put great faith in them. You’d probably be better off with per-customer encryption, but that would require you to have an infrastructure to manage keys and such for each customer.

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**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2006, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cd-dvd-copy-protection-software/370002/3 "2006-08-24T11:38:49Z")

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There are internet companies that will sell or take care of the keys for people that don’t want to. You can use one of the readers that provide rights management. I hate all them, because they keep my speech software from reading material. It’s a manual with pictures though.