The protected mark
What the badge means
Every advance copy an author sends through ArcBunny is watermarked and traceable to a single reader. This page is what that promise stands on.
A mark is only worth what stands behind it. Here is what stands behind ours.The ArcBunny guarantee
In one line
Three things it certifies
4-stage watermarked
Two marks you can see and two you can’t, layered into every copy — so it stays identifiable even if some are stripped.
Traceable to one reader
That fingerprint maps to exactly one approved reader. If a copy travels, its origin doesn’t stay a mystery.
Not DRM
It doesn’t lock the book. Your copy opens in any reading app, works offline, and is yours to read however you like.
The mechanism
How it works
A quiet, three-step chain — from the moment you’re approved to the moment a leak gives itself away.
You’re approved
The author reviews your application and sends a private download link — just for you.
Your copy is minted
The instant you download, four watermark stages — visible and hidden — are woven into the file, every one tied to your copy.
A leak names itself
If that copy ever surfaces in the wild, the author reads the surviving marks and knows exactly which copy it was — even if some were scrubbed.
The mark is the deterrent. Most copies never leak — precisely because everyone holding one knows it could be traced back.
For readers
Why it’s safe to apply
What’s traced is the book copy — not you, and not how you read it.
- We fingerprint the file, not your device. Nothing is installed, and nothing watches you read.
- To apply you give a name, an email, and a few questions the author chooses. The author decides who gets a copy.
- Approved readers get one private link. Where and how you read stays entirely your business.
It’s the same idea as a library slip: the book is accounted for — and you’re trusted with it.
For authors
What the badge does for you
The same system, seen from the other side of the launch.
- A unique copy per reader. Every approved download is watermarked to one reader automatically — no work from you.
- A trace tool when a copy surfaces. Hand ArcBunny a leaked file and it tells you which reader’s copy it was.
- The badge as your deterrent. Showing the mark tells readers up front that copies are traceable — so most leaks never start.
Straight answers
Questions readers ask
Does it change the book?
The story is untouched — same words, same formatting. What’s added is a short ownership page up front and a small line under each chapter, plus fingerprints you’ll never see. It reads normally in any app.
Can I share my copy?
Please don’t — it’s tied to you, and sharing is exactly what the trace is built to catch. Send friends to the author’s ARC page instead; there’s room for more readers there.
What does ArcBunny keep?
Only what’s needed to run the ARC: your application, each copy’s fingerprint, and delivery status — nothing about how you read.
Your turn
Launching a book of your own?
Give your advance readers this same promise — every copy watermarked, traceable, and DRM-free — and let the badge do the rest.
Protect your own launch →