The security and protection of your digital products is essential for the integrity of your business and safeguarding your revenue. We'll delve into three essential aspects of safeguarding your digital creations: Digital rights management (DRM), copyright and trademark considerations, and preventing unauthorized access and piracy.
Digital Rights Management (DRM)
Digital Rights Management (DRM) is a set of technologies and strategies used to control access to and usage of digital content. It helps to fight the duplication, sharing and unauthorized distribution of your products. If you sell ebooks, music, videos or software, consider DRM solutions specific to these formats. These tools are honed for the specific file type and, as a result, can be more effective.
While DRM is essential for protection, it's also important to strike a balance that doesn't impede the legitimate user's experience. If DRM feels restrictive or stops a customer from properly enjoying their purchase, it might be time for a rethink.
Copyright and Trademark Considerations
There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to copyright and trademarking. Automatic copyright protection applies to your digital products as soon as they're created and fixed in a tangible form (i.e. written down in the form of a file). However, registering your copyright with relevant authorities can provide some additional legal protections.
If your digital products are sold under a brand or company name, consider trademark registration. This protects your brand identity and helps prevent others from using it unlawfully. Use a free online checking tool to ensure your trademark is free (and that you aren’t infringing on someone else’s property!).
Finally, clearly define the terms of use for your digital products through license agreements. Specify what customers can and can’t do with your products, covering you after the sale is completed.
Preventing Unauthorized Access and Piracy
There are other tools you can use to guard against unauthorized access and piracy, such as using secure download links that limit access to the product. These links can't be easily shared or distributed without authorisation.
As previously mentioned, applying visible watermarks to digital products like images or PDFs can deter unauthorized use and serve as a visual reminder of ownership. For membership sites or subscription-based digital content you could also consider implementing user authentication and access control mechanisms. This ensures that only paying customers can access your products.
Anti-piracy tools and services monitor the web for illegal copies of your products and issue takedown notices if they find them – these can be a solid investment, especially if you’re selling high value products. Educate your customers about the importance of respecting copyrights and reporting any instances of piracy or unauthorized use they discover – this can be done in a (brand-friendly) way in your thank you page, or via your social media and email marketing.
By addressing these protection measures, you can significantly reduce the long term risk of unauthorized access, piracy, and infringement of your digital products.
Implementing secure delivery methods is crucial in safeguarding your digital products. For insights on effective delivery strategies and automation, read our article on Managing Digital Product Delivery.
Simplify Digital Product Protection with Digital Downloads Pro
Learn more about Digital Downloads Pro and enhance your digital product security today!
