Help with *.pdf copy restriction

[wonderer]

I don't know if this should be in the Tech. section.
But since it is a problem I am facing I thought it might fit in here as well.

I wonder if there is a way to send MSWord files or pdf files to be read on screen , with a higher chance of their contents NOT being copied and pasted into other applications?

I work with MSOffice 2003 and have Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional installed. The only way I know , is to add a password copy restriction to the pdf document. But googling for "pdf copy restriction remover" returned many results for third-party software that can simply remove this restriction.

Please can anyone tell me of other ways or tips to make content copying more difficult.

Thank you in advance

[Shoko Loko Bangoshe]

What about converting the document to an image? Simply load the document and do an Alt-PrintScreen.

It won't stop determined people from copying the content, but it will certainly make it more difficult.

[wonderer]

Thank you Shoko for your suggestion.
I tried this now and if i got it right, it only takes a snap shot of the current window view. My problem seems to be more complicated since I need to send a document with multiple pages.

I will try to explain more:
consider this situation , wonderer who has to send her work to be assessed , so she is not on an equal position with the assessor. There were rumors that he has claimed work that is not his before, and also she didn't deal with him before. and according to the regulations, she only has to present a printed version, still seniority is very important where she is, and she has to be very nice while talking to him.

First phone call:
Wonderer "Good morning sir, may I make an appointment to give you the printed document"
Him: " But you don't need to go through the trouble of bringing it yourself, you can just email it"
W : "Sir it will be a pleasure to meet you and give you the printed document"


Meeting him
W: " Here it is sir , looking forward for you assessment"
Him: "Thank you, but would you also send me the soft copy, it will be easier to read on my computer"
W (who admits was not prepared for this question, so she didn't give the best answer) "sorry sir , but I just came from another city and it is on my pc there, I will not be traveling there soon and I hope the paper copy will do" (this was not a lie but it was not saying the whole truth, since it is on the pc in another city, but she also has another copy)


Another phone call:
Him: " I tried reading your printed document, and it is causing me headache and I don't have reading glasses!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
you need to send me the soft copy" (btw: it is in font 16 for God's sake!!!! and since when has reading on screen became easier than reading a printed copy?)
wonderer : " But sir, I explained I will not be able to get it soon, and while it is not within the regulations, I would have loved to send it if I could!"
Him : "I need to have the soft copy, otherwise I won't turn in the assessment, it is up to you"

---
So it seems that while I am not comfortable at all sending him the soft copy, I have to. But it will be much better if i could send it in a way that will be at least a bit difficult than usual to copy its content.

Any ideas, other than buying him reading glasses?

[Dapxin]

hmmmmmmmmm.

How about print them out, then scan them back to PDFs ?

that way you get a quicker shoko solution without the hassle of pasting the images.

The thing is, as images in a pdf, he would have to know what he is doing, and be determined to get them to copy easily on the computer - not terribly hard to do only if you know what you are doing.

Then you may add another layer with passwords.

sadly, the internet was never designed to to protect nathin........

[Anike]

Wonderer,

Go to Protect Document and select Filling in forms in the editing restrictions drop down menu. Of course, as SLB said, any overzealous person can still copy the doc (Print Screen), but since you say you just don't want it to be very easy for him to copy, try this:

ps. I don't remember how to get to Protect Document in 03, but with '07 (maybe this will help you locate it in 03)

Review Tab > Protect Document is the last option on the tool bar > Step 2 > Filling in forms.

Hope it works.

[wonderer]

Dapxin
Thank you for the suggestion , but won't it be easy to extract the contents since Acrobat professional has an OCR feature that recognizes text by just clicking on it?
Indeed it doesn't seem to be possible to protect anything !

Anike
Thank you , thank you , thank you

I didn't know about this feature before.
I found it under the Tools menu. And I think it might be what I need.

[denker]

...There were rumors that he has claimed work that is not his before,..bla..bla..bla..

....claptrap(?)..wat has happened to Copyright laws..go away, woman..lol!