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[There are plenty of people on this forum who are actually employed and making a living doing what they love to do; making GPS maps. I would imagine there are plenty more would like to make a living doing what they love.]

Sorry about your feelings on this subject Boyd.  Aaaargh.  I wish someone were standing here to just tell me to let this lie.  However, you have now implied that I shouldn't even be posting on this site.  That is somewhat disturbing to me... 

I'm about as interested in discussing politics and conflict as you are; i.e. not at all.  I'm certainly not interested in discussing it on another site.  I live this life and don't feel the need to argue about it after a long deployment; such as with the woman next door walking her shih-tzu (who doesn't know that I've been gone or where I've been) who seems very interested in telling me all about the places that I've been and what is going on there.  It is what it is.

I don't decide who the "bad guys" are (that's not the point); unless they are pointing guns at me, at which point it becomes rather obvious. I just know who the guys are whom I would supply navigation data to.  They are guys and gals whom, for reasons known only by our government (whom we all voted into power), are in far away dangerous places trying not to get maimed and killed.

My products would (already have) helped them out a great deal in this area.

It can all seem very safe and cozy and abstract to those who have never gone into harms way.... sitting on their couches at night watching the news.  Trust me, there's a whole 'nother world out there, with plenty of people in it who would kill you and cut off your head if given the chance.  I have a family stateside, and I'd just as soon that the whole mess take place in the countries in which it began.

Beyond all of that though....  it does seem to me that the entire thread falls very much in line with GPS, mapping, and the technology surrounding it. There are plenty of people on this forum who are actually employed and making a living doing what they love to do; making GPS maps.  I would imagine there are plenty more would like to make a living doing what they love.  I don't see anything wrong with that.  No one is forcing anyone to purchase anything.  The market, and the quality of the product decides all of that.

Yup.
I don't mean to cast this topic in a different light.  We are getting off on a tangent.  Suffice it to say that there will be a process whereby I receive some sort of bonafides before I'll provide this service.

How that would segue with an online shopping cart is VERY problematic; and probably not possible.

I believe that I will link the files to the GPS ID.  I have that capability now.   The tougher question is how to do it quickly over the internet from a shopping cart rather than having to manipulate files by hand by receiving the GPS ID from the client.  The manual encryption of files is not only a pain requiring alot of time, but it removes the "immediate gratification" of a buyer on the internet.  When we purchase something, we don't want to wait to get it.  We want/need it NOW.

I agree with you about the pricing.  If you make something too "valuable" people will always try to decrypt and use it for free.  To that extent, it is like playing scissors-paper-rock with hackers and other individuals who know more than I and have the time and inclination to do so; it ain't worth it.

Further, about pricing.  I know from other endeavors that pricing is critical for other reasons.  If you price too highly, not only do you invite copycats and those who will work to break the encryption, but you lose the volume in sales.  

Re: Someone's previous reply mentioning a "Labor of Love".  It is that.  I do always enjoy it.  However: 1.  The areas I am mapping are areas of conflict around the globe (not stateside) using imagery that is supplied to me by select groups.  I have a responsibility not to allow the information I am creating from very current map imagery to fall into the wrong hands.  Therefore a "vetting" of my buyers will be required.  That sounds super secret squirrel and ominous, but, in reality, that is simply a fact of life that many of us who work in these hot zones have become comfortable with.  To allow very exact GPS files to get into the hands of the wrong persons is providing them with a very specific targeter's guide.  
Some of you will understand this; some of you will not.
2.  I can and intend to make money from these endeavors.  So, I will be charging users for my time.  It is up to the end-user to decide if what I create is worth the price.

I really do appreciate all of the input and suggestions BTW.

Wow.  It is difficult to project sales, as you guys know.  I wouldn't be touching on the States.

However, that is ALOT of money to fork out.

I am also concerned regarding the volume versus price quandary.  In other words, do I protect something (expensively) and charge alot for it and accept the lower sales and people trying to break the code; or sell the product for less and forget about trying to protect it, counting on volume to make up the difference.....

Contact Garmin?  That is a good idea.  I could understand why they wouldn't want to release that sort of thing to just anyone, as you mentioned.  Thanks for the advice though.  I'll contact them when the time is right.

This is probably a question for Indrid or someone in the retail business. 

If I produce some GPS maps and decide to sell them, is there a way that I could "protect" the integrity of these files so that they could not be further modified?  More importantly, is there a way to limit the distribution or control this in some way?