Creating copy protection

Hi all, I need your help.

I'm about to create a cd with a set of music files and possibly some videos from our student charity show. Thus we can sell this and get even more money. However, I am sure there will be people who copy the CD and don't pay any money for charity, so is there any way we can put a licence on the files so they can't be copied?

Many thanks, if this topic is in the wrong place, please let me know where is best.

do what I do when I want to copyrite one of my songs, but I don't have the money to go get it professionally copyrited.....I mail it to myself and I never open it until needed. It's legal cause it's a federal form of dating and because it's not opened, no one could have tampered with it after.

of course, if you need to use it in court to show that it was yours first, they have to open it to find out what it is that you've mailed yourself.....after that you have to get it professionally done. Luckily I haven't had to worry about that.....I'm not famous yet.

Not sure what you said, but I was told that mailing digital media to yourself is as good as copyrighting it. I did that with websites when I was in college.

That's not his/her question though. He/She wants to know how to stop people from copying data.

As I understand copyright law in the US (which is not all that well, but I did some research for a friend's band some years ago...) the copyright is automatic. If you record it (or write it on paper, type it into a document file, whatever) its copyrighted. The fun part is proving it in court if there's a challenge. That's where the 'mail it to yourself' part comes in - a neutral 3rd party has dated the envelope.

Mike.

unless you don't want to share and you keep it locked up in your room with no access to the outside......but maybe that's just me.

why not? 8O you seemed pretty eager to get your hands on my collection.

hmm.....was he now......

yeah, I could go into an interview....pop open my shirt....and have a high paying, self degrating job in an instant!

and have a whole bunch of horny guys wanting to know what I'll do next!

how about shoving your head up your arse and taking a lick?

oh jeeze....I prolly didn't have to mention it huh? you would have done it on your own!

Prune, don't start thinking like BMG.

My guess is, 99% of the people that make copies of your CD would not have paid for it, if copying was not possible. They would just go without.