To Copy Protect All Documents You Need To Copy Protect PDF
When clients are looking for document protection they want all sorts of file types protected. But that is impossible, especially with proprietary file types like DOC and XLS which require Microsoft software to read them. Even when considering other file types like EPUB, etc that are commonly used for eBooks, the most important thing to realize is that one cannot protect anything without encryption and by using encryption you need a proprietary reader that can decrypt and display the document. E-readers cannot cater for decryption securely and working with Microsoft files, unless you want to pay $30k for the software it won't be feasible because that is what the developers will have to pay for the right to use their reader resources.
So let's get real and consider a practical solution, and one that can be economical for the end user. All document file types can be converted to PDF and almost every author will have that capability. If he doesn't, then there are many free PDF converters available online. So now we only have to find one good PDF protection software that will provide copy protection from all avenues of save, copy and exploit.
PDF security software is often used as
image protect software because by protecting the PDF everything displayed in the PDF, including images and text, is also copy protected.
Another point to consider is that copy protection can be applied to the document while it is open, but what will prevent anyone from making a copy of the file itself and sharing with others or redistributing without your permission? So we need "access rights control", which is commonly referred to as Digital Rights Management (DRM). Sure you may have heard some in the industry refer to it as "document rights management" but they stole that terminology from ArtistScope just like they stole their call-to-home DRM after complaining that it was impossible for the two years that it took them to work out how to do it.
Anyway, so far we have two (2) key issues... one is that PDF is the best all round document format to begin with and two, that DRM is required to prevent sharing.
Adobe does offer document protection but at a very hefty price and it does nothing to prevent anyone from making a copy while the document is open. Other PDF solutions boast copy protection that is merely password protection and may use some mild form of DRM that can be exploited. Unfortunately, anyone catering for all operating systems and devices will be incapable of providing any robust copy protection that can live up to the claims that they make.
So what should one do? Well if you want everyone to access your documents, even from amusement devices like mobile phones, kiss your livelihood goodbye. But if you want to stay in business, keep your secrets safe, and use a document protection solution that cannot be exploited, use CopySafe PDF Protection. CopySafe PDF is the most secure and robust solution, with DRM that cannot be exploited and copy protection that prevents all save and copy from all threats including software designed to plagiarize and steal your intellectual property. CopySafe PDF is the role model that all the copy-cats in the copy protection industry use for ideas and inspiration, and that includes all other copy protectors, large and small.
Disabling keys and calling that copy protection is fodder for fools and anyone believing that will prevent copy needs to realize that a browser's toolbar provides the same options plus add-on extensions that can be used for screen capture. Then there is the plethora of screen capture software which the fakers claim to prevent, only they use a list of known capture software which does nothing to prevent anyone from renaming the capture executable. Well that's how they try to play it on Windows and what they try to do on mobile devices is even more fake because on such devices they do not have the required permissions to do anything at system level at all.
"Oh, but everybody does everything on mobile phones these days!" is frequently heard and yes playing with a handheld device has become an affliction that has almost everyone addicted, but that is only because the device makers want you addicted. So yes, your audience might be addicted, but why expose your livelihood because your audience can be stupid. Why do you have to be as stupid and allow access to your intellectual property to devices that cannot and never will be properly secured to protect your intellectual property or your livelihood?
Be sensible and use a document protection solution that does
copy protect PDF and
one that is most secure and cannot be exploited.
Author: William Kent
Date: 24th September 2019
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