Copysafe Helper Service

The Copysafe Helper Service was the first Windows API for interfacing with desktop applications to manage and control copy s at system level.

Developed by ArtistScope in 1998 it provided the only means to prevent screen capture and screen recording where it counts - at system level. The Copysafe Helper Service ran as a Windows service to intercept copy commands while in Protect Mode. While in Protect Mode all commands and hotkeys used for copy, save, etc were intercepted while clearing the clipboard of the last captured image.

Protect Mode was triggered by loading web pages that contained Copysafe content such as Copysafe PDF, Copysafe Video or Copysafe Web. Copysafe content is encrypted and special viewers are required to decrypt the media and display on the web page. By detecting teh HTML used for that code, web browsers could swith to Protect Mode.

The interface that made it possible to use Copysafe in all web browsers was provided by plugins. In Mozilla web browsers like Navigator, Firefox, Safari and Chrome (Mozilla based browsers) an NPAPI plugin was used. For other browsers based on Internet Explorer the plugin was referred to as ActiveX.

Alernatives

The Copysafe Helper Service was proprietary software developed by ArtistScope for use in Copysafe PDF, Copysafe Video and Copysafe Web software, and later in the ArtisBrowser, a secure web browser especially designed for copy protection.

No other sfotware had an API for copy protection. Other software for copy protection were limited to desktop viewing and solely relied on using a blocklist (a database of know capture apps) to identify offenders and try to shut them down before displaying protected content.

Climate Change

The Copysafe Helper Service was initally released for Windows 98 and survived the radical changes introduced by each new Windows version right though to Windows 10.

In 2015 all popular web browsers, under the influence of Google who always had a problem supporting WW3 standards, dropped support for NPAPI plugins claiming that they were a security risk. This happened in spite the rights of user's to install software of their own choice, especially when all operating systems (OS) automatically validate authenticity by checking codesgning certificates.

That might have killed copy protection for web content if ArtistScope hadn't already deleoped its own web browser. ArtisBrowser had been available for Windows users since 201 by 2021 was available for all operating systems (OS) including Windows, Mac, iOS and Android phones. The Copysafe Helper Service then became an integral part of ArtisBrowser (not as a plugin).

Then Copysafe Helper Service was rendered ineffective by Windows 10. By then Windows, Apple and Google had deleoped their own API for copy protection that could be utilsed in all types of desktop applications.

Current Status

While many different types of desktop software can employ copy protection by simply including an API in their build, none are as sophisticated as ArtistScope solutions when it comes to all round protection.

But when it comes to copy protecting web page content, there is nothing that can compare with the protection provided by the ArtistScope Site Protection System (ASPS) when used with the ArtisBrowser.

Today copy protection is not possible while viewing web content with normal web browsers like Edge, Firefox, Chrome or Safari.

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