Digital piracy has been a major problem in the world, affecting not only the entertainment industry but also the infoproduct market.
If you're an online course creator, your work can be directly affected by this practice. After all, imagine spending months developing amazing content and seeing it illegally distributed on the internet, right?
In this post, we'll explore the main consequences of digital piracy and show you how you can protect your online courses, and what to do if your content is pirated.
The Impact of Digital Piracy in the United States
In 2021, the United States ranked 1st among the countries that consume the most digital piracy in the world, according to a report by Akami, a cybersecurity company. According to the same research, there were more than 13.5 billion accesses to illegal content in the year.
This number is worrying for infoproducers, who can lose a large part of their revenue and have their reputation damaged.
In addition, the easy spread of courses discourages new entrants to the digital market and the production of content marketing.
How is content pirated?
Before you find out how to protect your content, you need to understand what hackers use to obtain and distribute content illegally. Some of the most common tactics include:
- Screen recording: Capturing the content displayed on the computer screen while playing an online course.
- Illegal download: Use of software or websites that allow unauthorized download of protected files.
- Illegal streaming: Live streaming of copyrighted content without authorization.
In addition, there are more complex technologies that can bypass the encoding of streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon. Therefore, protection is never too much.
How to protect my content from piracy?
There are several tools on the market that can help infoproducers and companies protect their courses against digital piracy.
See below what the main solutions are:
DRM Watermark
DRM (Digital Rights Management), is a set of technologies that aim to protect the copyrights of digital content.
In simple terms, DRM works like a digital bodyguard, controlling who can access, copy or distribute your videos.
DRM has been widely used by the film and music industry since the 1990s, but digital has brought a new version which is DRM Watermark (or watermark).
This mark may contain information about the owner, such as name and CPF, and is used to track the origin of the content in case of unauthorized distribution.
What is the difference between Panda Video's DRM Watermark
Unlike other tools that place an object over the video, which can be manipulated, Panda's DRM Watermark is different.
Here, the watermark is rendered within the video, making it impossible to manipulate the content.
The color and size of the brand can be customized, along with the screen time, as this processing involves costs.
Learn more here: What is and how does our DRM (watermark) work?
Allowed domains
If you upload a video to YouTube, anyone who has the URL can embed it on their website. However, by storing your content in video hosting, you can prevent this.
In Panda Video, for example, there is a function called Allowed Domains, where the infoproducer chooses which domains the video can run on.
Even if someone inspects the page and gets the link to your video, they won't be able to put it on any page, as they will see the following message:
Anti-Download
The biggest attempts to acquire content illegally are through software, extensions or websites that perform downloads.
Therefore, tools such as Panda Video, are concerned with offering a solution to hinder this practice.
Within the platform, there is a function called Anti-Download, which basically creates barriers to hinder content extraction.
By enabling this option, Panda Video adds an additional layer of security, being able to detect and hinder any attempt to download content through extensions, programs or tools.
If someone tries to download a video with this function enabled, they will come across the following message:
What to do if one of my courses is pirated?
If you discover that one of your courses has been pirated, the first step is to issue a copyright infringement notification (DMCA) to the website or platform that is distributing the content.
DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) is a US law that protects the rights of content creators, but it can be applied globally on platforms that recognize it.
By sending a DMCA takedown notice to the site or platform hosting the material, you can get it taken down quickly, helping to minimize damage to your brand and business.
To help combat piracy and facilitate this process for customers, Panda Video provides a DMCA claim form, if necessary.
Protect your online course against digital piracy
Digital piracy is a real and growing problem. However, with the right tools, you can protect your online courses and minimize the risks of financial loss and reputational damage.
Panda Video is here to help, offering robust solutions that ensure the security of your content, allowing you to stay focused on what really matters: creating and sharing knowledge.
