In some circumstances, civil remedies such as compensatory damages and injunctions to restrain objectionable conduct may provide effective relief, but, in others, an individual or company whose work has been pirated may have little recourse. A potentially more promising solution lies in technological developments that can provide a modicum of protection against information piracy. This can include encrypting data so it is accessible only to authorised persons or including technologies that detect and disclose unauthorised reproductions. For example, consider a digital equivalent of tamper-proof packaging. The copyright owner can put hidden cues in the data so that if people make inappropriate use of it, such misuse becomes boldly evident.
Watermarks can be perceptible to the naked eye, imperceptible, or a combination of both.
Inbuilt security software embedded in a CD or in text can also be used to direct the data to effectively degrade itself or self-destruct if stipulated conditions are not met. This is similar to the use of dye-packs in banknotes as a countermeasure against robbery. The development of technologies to combat piracy will remain one of the growth areas of the information age. The challenge of combating electronic theft is one we all face. There are relatively few skilled computer crime investigators and forensic accountants in our police services and they usually have more work than they can handle.