Securing literature

Hey all,
I was wondering if anyone is aware of technology or applications that are used to secure content on CDs. A Scenario to clarify: School kids, instead of buying text books, teaching material (applications) can be placed on a CD or sometype of drive. This material can be read of the screen but not copied, printed or duplicated in anyway. This way the school can ensure that other schools cant get FULL copies of the applications and material. Any ideas? Even a solution such as having dedicated, specialized affordable laptops? Im doing my research and thinking about new ways this could be done, but im sure alot of you have a bit more experience in this area.

Please let me know of existing solutions or new ways that this could be implemented in.

Thanks alot

Later

Well,

As a general rule if it can be seen or read it can be copied. This is why there has never yet been a successful DRM solution.

I would suggest that you should include the humble "dongle" in your research. By including a hardware element, you make life a lot more difficult, particularly if the hardware device contains required decryption and/or functionality software.

This solution is relatively expensive, and would meet considerable resistance from the general public, but I have used it for high end CAD and Systems Design software. Perhaps introducing a card into the machine rather than an external device?

It is all a matter of costs and revenues. Like how many do you want to protect and what are they worth.

You will never stop a determined cracker or counterfeiter, but in the kind of environments I have mentioned, they would never get into the market. I would guess that educational establishments would also be a bit more of an "ethical customer" environment?

Just a quick thought................I haven't used one for years...........like when most music was on cassettes or still on vinyl :eek: