[Web4lib] PDF restrictions

[Karen Coyle]

Although we don't often run into this in libraries, the "eyes only" 
issue is big in the corporate world where trade secrets (and 
competitors) exist. In fact, Acrobat was designed more for that 
environment than the open environment that we are accustomed to.

It's simply a fact that any string of bits can be copied (and saving a 
file is essentially a copy). Technical protection cannot prevent you 
from copying the file, it can only prevent you from making use of it -- 
e.g. opening it for reading unless you have a password, or unless it is 
on an authorized device (iTunes uses this). You CAN tie a copy to a 
specific computer, which means that your end-user can read the file but 
if they pass it along it can't be read. I explain some about this in the 
talk/article I did on DRM: http://www.kcoyle.net/drm_basics1.html. This 
latter control is what is used by netLibrary and the Overdrive digital 
lending systems, but you need more of a technology infrastructure to do 
this than just a copy of Acrobat.
  
kc

Andrew Hankinson wrote:
> Is there a particular reason you'd like to share that requires you to
> have this restriction?  My imagination is wandering with visions of
> super-secret 'eyes only' messages being sent through e-mail.
>
> Andrew
>
> On 4/27/07, Leo Robert Klein <leo at leoklein.com> wrote:
>> Bob Rasmussen wrote:
>> > On Fri, 27 Apr 2007, Linda_M.Schwartz at lvh.com wrote:
>> >
>> >> I am new to Acrobat 8.0 -- is there a way to create a pdf that 
>> could be
>> >> offered via email and/or via web that could be printed but not 
>> saved by the
>> >> end user?
>> >
>> > No. Even if a PDF could not be saved, the email that contains it 
>> could be
>> > saved. And a user could intercept the printing of it in many ways.
>> >
>>
>> Exactly.  The limitations you can build into the PDF file itself is to
>> password protect it and to keep people from altering it.
>>
>> LEO
>>
>>
>> -- -------------------
>> www.leoklein.com (site)
>> www.ChicagoLibrarian.com (blog)
>>
>> aim/msn/yhoo/goog: 'leorobertklein'
>> -- -------------------------------
>> _______________________________________________
>> Web4lib mailing list
>> Web4lib at webjunction.org
>> http://lists.webjunction.org/web4lib/
>>
> _______________________________________________
> Web4lib mailing list
> Web4lib at webjunction.org
> http://lists.webjunction.org/web4lib/
>
>

-- 
-----------------------------------
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
------------------------------------