[WEB4LIB] Re: Locked PDF files

[Karen Coyle]

Athena Hoeppner wrote:

>I can print from the document just fine if I use Mozilla FireFox. 
>Printing, and all other "security" options show as is disallowed in IE
>and in Opera.
>  
>
The print icon is grayed out when I open this in Firefox 1.0, and 
clicking on file/print doesn't cause anything to happen. What version of 
Firefox are you using?

kc

>Athena
>
>  
>
>>>>Karen Coyle <kcoyle at kcoyle.net> 31/Jan/05 12:32 >>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>This is a wonderful example of DRM gone awry. It looks like their PDF 
>creation software defaults to dis-allowing all of the functions that
>are 
>covered by the Adobe content protection mechanism. (You can see the 
>options in file/document properties/security.) Not only can you not 
>print this document, if you highlight an area and try to copy it to the
>
>clipboard, nothing will go to the clipboard. Are you feeling safer
>now?
>
>As for getting around it, the software created by the Russian company 
>Elcomsoft was designed precisely to break through the Adobe protection
>
>system (albeit an earlier version). Of course, that's why their 
>programmer, Dmitry Sklyarov, was arrested when he came to this country.
>
>Breaking through the protection system is a violation of the DMCA.
>
>The only thing to do is to notify the creator of his error and ask that
>
>an unprotected file be posted. It's either that, or try to print the 
>whole thing as screen shots. Fortunately, Microsoft will soon be 
>providing us with an operating system that will prevent those screen 
>shot captures from being used on protected materials. Then we'll REALLY
>
>be safe.
>
>kc
>
>Andrew Mutch wrote:
>
>  
>
>>We just ran into a first - a PDF file locked so that it couldn't be
>>    
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>printed.
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>>This PDF was for a class schedule at one of the state universities. I
>>    
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>can
>  
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>>understand locking these files to keep them from being changed but no
>>printing? Is this just someone being overzealous with the security or
>>    
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>is this
>  
>
>>standard practice for these kinds of documents? Also, does anyone have
>>    
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>hints
>  
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>>of how to work around such settings to allow a patron to print that
>>    
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>document?
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>>If you want to see the document, go here:
>>
>>http://www.registrars.cmich.edu/courses/classsched.htm 
>>
>>and select the Spring 2005 link.
>>
>>Thanks!
>>
>>Andrew Mutch
>>Library Systems Technician
>>Waterford Township Public Library
>>Waterford, MI
>>
>>
>>
>> 
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-- 
-----------------------------------
Karen Coyle / Digital Library Consultant
kcoyle at kcoyle.net http://www.kcoyle.net
ph.: 510-540-7596
fx.: 510-848-3913
mo.: 510-435-8234
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