How to deal with illegal/free sharing of my product?

[KiwiEC]

Hi Fastlaners,

I am building a business to sold digital products through an Ecommerce website. I am close to get my MVP and I will start to build the website soon.

This first product will be purchasable through one-time paiements. You pay, you download it (through a link or an incoming email, I don't know yet).
As it's digital, it can be easily duplicated. A customer could pay once and share it with his colleagues/family/friends, for free.

I know many of you sell digital courses/ebooks/products. How do you deal with that?

• My main idea would be to propose a subscription program alongside those one time paiements. Customer would have the choice to pay each month to get access to any update of those products + various features (newsletter, exclusive products, some private Discord/Telegram... I don't know yet). It will generate reccuring income and customer loyalty. Good idea?

As I want to lauch my product and my site asap to get a proof of value, I will keep it simple so this subscription program would come in a second time.

• My other idea would be to protect my files from sharing in a way or another (encryption, etc.). I see many barriers to this as it would require more technical skills and it would probably complexify the product (and I want it easy and fast to use).

Sorry if this topic has already been discussed. I did not find anything on my side. Thanks in advance for your insights.

 

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[Guest931Xfjyx]

Hi Fastlaners,

I am building a business to sold digital products through an Ecommerce website. I am close to get my MVP and I will start to build the website soon.

This first product will be purchasable through one-time paiements. You pay, you download it (through a link or an incoming email, I don't know yet).
As it's digital, it can be easily duplicated. A customer could pay once and share it with his colleagues/family/friends, for free.

I know many of you sell digital courses/ebooks/products. How do you deal with that?

• My main idea would be to propose a subscription program alongside those one time paiements. Customer would have the choice to pay each month to get access to any update of those products + various features (newsletter, exclusive products, some private Discord/Telegram... I don't know yet). It will generate reccuring income and customer loyalty. Good idea?

As I want to lauch my product and my site asap to get a proof of value, I will keep it simple so this subscription program would come in a second time.

• My other idea would be to protect my files from sharing in a way or another (encryption, etc.). I see many barriers to this as it would require more technical skills and it would probably complexify the product (and I want it easy and fast to use).

Sorry if this topic has already been discussed. I did not find anything on my side. Thanks in advance for your insights.

You contact the website it's duplicated on and threaten to sue. I'd also suggest releasing "fake" versions of the digital item you intend to sell. I've seen both of these work with success.

I know this as a long-time pirate.

 

[DrScream]

You contact the website it's duplicated on and threaten to sue. I'd also suggest releasing "fake" versions of the digital item you intend to sell. I've seen both of these work with success.

I know this as a long-time pirate.

Love the idea of releasing a fake version. Bind that file with a virus while you're at it to really screw the person who's torrenting your product XD

 

[KiwiEC]

You contact the website it's duplicated on and threaten to sue. I'd also suggest releasing "fake" versions of the digital item you intend to sell. I've seen both of these work with success.

I know this as a long-time pirate.

I was mainly thinking about people directly sharing with their network.

Let's say I designed a tool for accountants. An employee from an accounting cabinet buy it, get the product and then send it by mail to his colleagues.

Writing this makes me realize it is not really something you can deal with in practice. Best I can do would be to create some loyalty to make this employee come back.

 

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[Spenny]

Could you clarify on the product? Is it a course of some sort?

Perhaps you could embed the product into a website and have it so that you host it? Rather than download, have it so that they need a membership to view it. I don't run a business like this but thats a way to stop illegal download. Think how Udemy does it.

 

[KiwiEC]

Could you clarify on the product? Is it a course of some sort?

Perhaps you could embed the product into a website and have it so that you host it? Rather than download, have it so that they need a membership to view it. I don't run a business like this but thats a way to stop illegal download. Think how Udemy does it.

Thanks for your feedback.

It could be a lot of products, let's say ebooks, courses, templates, stock pictures/videos, musics, etc.
Embedding could work with some of these, I guess I could make it work this way on the (very) long term!

 

[Guest931Xfjyx]

Love the idea of releasing a fake version. Bind that file with a virus while you're at it to really screw the person who's torrenting your product XD

I've moreso seen people release a fake version with entirely inaccurate information, but yeah that's an option as well.

 

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[Guest931Xfjyx]

Thanks for your feedback.

It could be a lot of products, let's say ebooks, courses, templates, stock pictures/videos, musics, etc.
Embedding could work with some of these, I guess I could make it work this way on the (very) long term!

Get a product to sell and then worry about this.

 

[Skroob]

Love the idea of releasing a fake version. Bind that file with a virus while you're at it to really screw the person who's torrenting your product XD

So, just in case, please do not do this very very illegal thing.