ArtistScope - The Founder of Copy Protection

Innovator and leading developer of access rights and copy protection solutions since 1998. ArtistScope provides software for securing all types of media with the option of total control over who can view it and how. Depending on whether you want to protect web pages or documents and the extent of your reader's access entitlements, you have a choice of several solutions.

ArtistScope software is innovative and the industry standard for copy protection, providing the most secure and most robust copy protection options possible. It is the solution of choice by the military, government, telecoms and many other industries worldwide where the protection of intellectual property and sensitive information is critical.

History in the Making

The origin of ArtistScope can also be said to be the origin of copy protection for the Internet, because before ArtistScope, copy protection for images or web pages did not exist.

When representing other artists who were interested in exhibiting online but were concerned about the lack of protection that was available for their artworks. At that time, there was no solution available to prevent images from being saved from a web page. From extensive research the only information that could be found that was a University paper that was speculating about the possibility of vetting links to images using a server side script. During the time, no such script had been created. It was only wishful thinking.

So the task of finding a solution to prevent image copy was put to programmers of diverse specialties worldwide, but they all concluded that such a thing was impossible.

The first methods that were developed hid an image from mouse saves by displaying it as a table background instead of an image source as well as the use of JavaScript layers to hide an image on mouse over. Unfortunately layers were not supported in all browsers at that time, and table backgrounds could still be obtained, which necessitated a better solution was needed. Then image encryption was developed using Java for its all-round platform and browser support. Secure Image was released as the first solution for copy protecting images on web pages. Soon after a Perl script known as Link Protect was distributed as the first solution for the prevention of unauthorized linking and bandwidth theft.

In 1998 the ArtistScope Company was founded to further the research and development of solutions to protect the artist's livelihood. The next development was Secure Image which provided image encryption for use on web pages. Secure Image was a major innovation for the Internet and it was featured as such in many graphics and printing magazines worldwide. However, anything that offered security was short-lived because if there were a way of getting around it, it was soon broadcast for all to know. In those days less than 2% of Internet users knew what the Print Screen button could be used for. In fact very few graphic artists knew about the Print Screen button and the screen capture software did not exist then. That was soon changed by scores of software developers who began peddling screen capture software, making image piracy easier and more difficult to prevent.

Copy Protection

In 1999 released CopySafe which today remains unique in that PrintScreen and screen capture is prevented at system level by controlling the clipboard, whereas other solutions try to detect known capture software and shut it down. Such solutions are easily exploited by simply renaming the capture software (.exe) file. Lesser solutions designed for amusement devices like mobile phones cannot action at system level and are not worthwhile.

Copy protected files can be viewed on the desktop using a CopySafe reader/player, or they can be displayed online from your web page. Free plugins are available for the most popular CMS such as DNN, Drupal, Joomla, Moodle and WordPress to upload and add protected PDF and video from their online page editors.

Digital Rights Management (DRM)

ArtistScope revolutionized Digital Rights Management by introducing call-to-home server validation instead of tokens, ensuring that DRM rights could not be exploited and give authors total control over security policy changes with immediate effect, even on protected files already saved to the user's computer.

ArtistScope DRM distinguishes each user using an algorithm based on hard drive serial number and manufacturer, ensuring that rights permissions can be locked to individual computers and not exploited. Each CopySafe software license includes a free and unlimited account on our DRM server (for life) to manage subscribers, groups file permissions and access rights.

DRM accounts can manage both PDF and video with the option to sell from our online ebook store free of charge.

The latest ArtistScope development and possibly the ultimate solution for all copy protection needs is the ArtisBrowser which is the only web browser designed for and dedicated to the copy protection of web pages and embedded media.

• Copy protect images
• Copy protect web pages
• Copy protect source code
• Copy protect video and Flash
• Copy protect eBooks and PDF documents
• Prevent data leakage and other exploits

"We know the technology, we know the customer, and we know the audience. Our systems are the most secure and are affordable; and we stay apace with those who seek ways to get around protection solutions."

ArtistScope Pty Limited
Address: PO Box 927 Gympie 4570, Queensland, Australia.
Phone: 0466 543 727