Uploading

While access rights to view a document can be restricted per unique computer, access to your upload pages can be gained from any computer in the world, even from an internet cafe. No special software is required on your computer because it is provided from this server. After uploading an image you have different options depending on the level of protection that you desire.

Conversion types

File types that you can upload are Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and have them converted to image format or simply upload GIF, JPG, PNG and TIF images and encrypt them for web page display .

Copy protected images and web pages

Our server side software will encrypt and convert your documents and images to our copy protected format which is safe from all copying, printing, Printscreen and screen capture. The pages displaying your images can be visited by anyone online that you allow.

DRM protected web pages

DRM protected pages enjoy all of the above mentioned copy protection features plus more. When converted to DRM your page can only be viewed by the persons that you entitle. You can limit the number of times it can be viewed or how many times it is printed. And you can change these permissions at any time with immediate effect regardless of who is viewing.

Image encryption strength

The most secure method for copy protecting images is not by encrypting using JavaScript or retrieving an encrypted data from a database. JavaScript encryption is easily reversed and once an image is decrypted from a database and delivered to a user's web browser in its original form... its just like any other image on a web page. Our DRM for the web encrypts an image that remains encrypted all the way to the user's web browser and cache. While the image is displayed on a web page it is still encrypted. You can see the image only because our plugin is displaying its likeness from the protected page.

Web page format

All pages within your DRM solution are delivered on the fly using classic ASP. Web pages are delivered according to a user's privileges, their computer type, browser type and permissions set on individual pages or settings per group. By using classic ASP instead of .Net site owners can more easily customize their templates and with less skill required. For example this web site was created in Microsoft FrontPage using Normal view for layout and Html view for coding. All page templates are WC3 standard and will not be corrupted by FrontPage or other editors that enforce their own html rules.

Web page layout

After uploading an image you have the choice of:

      - Saving as a normal image without copy protection (useful for help pages)
      - Saving as a normal image but with copy protection applied to the page
      - Saving as a normal image but with only DRM applied to the page
      - Saving as a normal image but with copy protection and DRM applied to the page
      - Saving as an encrypted image with copy protected web page
      - Saving as an encrypted image with copy protected web page and DRM protection

After making your selection the image is then loaded into our online HTML editor where you can add other images, text tables, etc before saving to your collection. Even though you may be working with an encrypted image, in your online editor you see the normal version which you can resize and arrange on the page. Flash and movie media can also be added to the page.

Web page templates

Each registered author can set user access permissions on document for:

      - Expiry date
      - Password
      - Number of views allowed
      - Number of prints allowed

Web page permissions

Authors with admin status (non demo) have a choice of templates for the pages delivered to their users. You can use the standard site layout or you can add a template for your own look and feel:

      - Add html for the header and footer template for complete control over layout
      - Edit page properties and CSS style for fonts and colors
      - Organize your folder menus for pages
      - Create thumbnail indexes for page galleries

Account rules

To cater for the maximum possibility of variations in groups, accounts and documents the following rules apply:

      - Every account must have a unique username (email address) per computer
      - Each database is limited to 999,999 users
      - Each database is limited to 999,999 groups
      - Each database is limited to 999,999 documents
      - Each database is limited to 999,999 web pages

The same web site or server can host an unlimited number of databases, for example one database for each author account who may have up to 999,999 users each, extending the scope of your DRM solution to cater for every one in the world from a single domain.

Admin rights

Admin rights vary according to user status and group. For example a demo account can:

     - Add and edit new user accounts but cannot make them active
     - Upload and create documents and web pages for their own group
     - Edit their own documents and pages
     - Send test emails to their own email address
     - View their own gallery and documents
     - View all documents and pages assigned to their group

Any author with admin permissions (but not a demo account) can:

     - Create their own group
     - Add and edit users belonging to any groups which they are a member of
     - Set access levels to users, groups and documents that belong to their groups
     - View, add and edit all documents and pages where they are author
     - View and edit all documents and pages that are active in their groups
     - Send newsletter emails to all groups and users which they author
     - Customise the look of the pages used by their users and groups
     - View statistics on their pages and documents and reset their users' hit counts
     - Set expiration and renew subscription dates for all users in their groups

The owner has absolute control over all aspects plus:

     - Set new memberships for auto approval when validated by email or manually approve each user
     - Enable or ban access by IP number or network group
     - Enable or suspend any group, user, document or web page
     - Move users, documents and pages to different groups
     - View statistics on all pages and documents including failed validations

Expiry date

When setting expiration for a DRM page, the expiry date is stored on record and can be changed at any time. When you set an expiry date it will expire at midnight of that day according to GMT.

IP ban and networks allowed

Users can be banned by IP number or network and exceptions to the rule can be set. For example you can ban a network but permit an individual IP number. Likewise you can allow a network and ban a single IP from it. For example to ban an ISP you can set 100.100.100 or 100.100. You can also set 100. but be warned that you will also ban any IP numbers or networks that contain "100". In the main settings file for the DRM site you can set to allow all networks except those listed, or deny all networks except those listed.

Password

Setting a password for a page is possible but is not necessary if already protected with DRM options.

Users and groups

Permissions can be assigned to groups and/or users. Web pages can be assigned per group only so that they can get a menu of all pages assigned to their group.

Print limitation

When converting a document for DRM the number of prints allowed per user or group can be limited. DRM print limits can be varied at an time.

Web page security

The security of your web page is automatically managed depending on your requirements. Some pages may not need protecting and serve as indexes or for ordering information which can be accessible to everyone. Copy protected pages are safe from all methods of copy and saving. They are safe from Printscreen and unlike other DRM solutions, they are completely safe from ALL screen capture programs and screen recorders.

Image quality

For the best quality do not use compressed images or images of low resolution. Images resized for a maximum size limit (if one is set to maintain page uniformity) are converted to PNG to provide the highest possible image quality and more economical downloads for your users.

Quality control

The maintain uniformity in the look of your pages you can set a maximum width for thumbnails and also the main image. For example if your pages look best using a layout that is 800 pixels wide, if anyone uploads an image wider than 800 pixels your page layout may be pushed out of proportion. So setting a maximum width for your main images to 750 pixels wide can ensure that all fits into place. When your original image is uploaded, if a maximum width is set then the image will be resampled and the new image will be used for encryption and placement on the page. ArtistScope DRM resamples the original and works from the new image rather than resize on the fly to conserve the server's resources when the site/s are busy.

Email distribution

From your pages menu you can select a page to send to your readers by email as a newsletter. Standard templates are available to use for emails which contain the appropriate access instructions for your user/group..

Maintenance

As an administrator (owner) you have total control over who uses your distributable and what functions are available to your users. You also have the choice of allowing automatic account approvals (email validation required) or being notified by email when a new user signs up for an account so that you can allow disallow their access, assign to select groups or set other restrictions.

Statistics and usage counts

Each time a web page is validated the hit is recorded so that Authors can monitor usage and the popularity of their content. Registered authors can view the hits on their web pages and if needed reset usage counts for individual users. If an account is regulated by credits for validation hits then the Author's Preferences will show the current balance of hits in credit.

How hit counts work

Each time one of your users requests permission to open a DRM protected web page, their ID and access rights are checked against the database. Each request that is unique in any given session is recorded as a hit against the author's account. For example if a user visits 7 web pages in the one session then the total of hits recorded will be 7. If the same user loads and reloads the same pages several times the recorded hits will still be 7.

The exception to the rule is if the visitor is either the site administrator, an admin for the Group that the web page belongs to, or is the author of that Group or web page, then the total hit count will be 0... enabling authors and administrators to check, edit and test their pages without being penalised.