I want to write a guide for something to sell, an e-book really. I dont wish to give re-sale rights or want it to be distributed by people. Is there any way I can stop this happening apart from just saying the usual jargon about it being copyrighted to me etc? What if I find someone reselling it, what can I do about it? Thanks for any advice.
Sort of. If it is within the U.S. or within a country that respects international law, then you may have some recourse. Still, can you imagine the resources that you will have to marshall to stop an overseas aggravator from stealing your product? Even state to state you can find these costs to be prohibitive. Minimally, do everything in your power to make sure that your information isn't easily accessible. If something of yours is picked up and posted elsewhere without your permission notify the webmaster about the problem. If he refuses to do anything, then contact the hosting company to complain.
I think its not really possible to stop all this.Becuase the people who rip off your thing are not going to buy anyways, that means they are not your customers anyways, some of them rip it off and if they like it, they buy it afterwards but i dont think you should worry about it.Youll get famous if people spread it and like your work.Think of the backend profits
Simple: don't post it online. Next best thing is to use some technical solution that lets you keep track of that digital item and even lock it down. I don't recall, but there are a few who offer locking for pdf files, for example.
About non-legite re-selling - this thread is a good example of some people's desire to make money on the copirighted property of others http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?p=1686291#post1686291
You might consider selling it through an affiliate program like clickbank. The resellers can get a hefty commission, but it keeps you in charge of the distribution. This wouldn't completely prevent someone from reselling it, but it would give you a bit more control.