Make workbooks available as a package with hard copy.

[PAULRFONTENOT]

I understand that you don't want to publish an electronic workbook for fear that it will be pirated.

I recommend that you make the workbooks available to workbook holders of record which can be tracked by matching the workbook serial number with the workbook holder's serial numbers of their computers; then, write code so that the electronic workbook issued to the workbook holder of record will only be available on computer serial numbers held by the licensee.

You would just need to assign a barcode or the serial number of the hard copy workbook, the electronic workbook and the computers belonging to the licensee.

You would just have to ask for the licensee's computer serial numbers so the licensee's copy of the workbook can only be transferred between his/her/their computers of record.

Another way, which would be simpler, would be to make the purchase available online only and restrict the use of the electronic workbook to the account holders of record who have purchased the Affinity workbook hard copy.

In either case, you would make purchasing the hard copy workbook a prerequisite to being eligible to purchase the electronic version.

[PAULRFONTENOT]

Revised title for this topic:

"Make the electronic version of workbooks available to workbook holders of record"

[Alfred]

4 hours ago, PAULRFONTENOT said:

Revised title for this topic:

"Make the electronic version of workbooks available to workbook holders of record"

You can revise the title by editing your original post to the thread.

Quote

In either case, you would make purchasing the hard copy workbook a prerequisite to being eligible to purchase the electronic version.

How would you prevent the original purchaser of the hard copy from selling it and then continuing to use the electronic version?

[PAULRFONTENOT]

You have a good point; you could prevent the new user of the hard copy from accessing the electronic copy by requiring the matching of the workbook serial number and the original buyer's computer serial numbers, but I don't know how you would prevent the original buyer of the hard copy from continuing to access the electronic copy; selling the hard copy and the electronic copy as a package deal may prevent some of this pirating though.

 

 

 

[PaulEC]

On 2/23/2019 at 7:46 AM, Alfred said:

How would you prevent the original purchaser of the hard copy from selling it and then continuing to use the electronic version?

How do you prevent someone from buying one copy of the software and then giving a copy of it to all their friends?

You rely on people obeying the EULA!

As an aside the workbooks seem very expensive compared with the price of the actual software. (I do understand the costs involved in producing this type of book!)

A problem seems to be that they will undoubtedly become rather outdated as the software is developed. At least with an electronic version, it would be easier to update the workbooks to take account of additions/changes in the software.

[PAULRFONTENOT]

Thank you PaulEC for your comment and participation in this discussion; I hope the "powers that be" read these comments and consider putting out an electronic version.

I, for one, have grown into using electronic manuals vs. hard copy manuals a long time ago; if an electronic version is set up correctly with hyperlinks; it is a lot easier to navigate an electronic manual than a hard copy book.