How do you prevent people from copying content in PDF files.

30 replies
I just downloaded a report that was a pdf file. When I right-clicked on a pararaph in it a warning box came up that said copying wasn't allowed. I just finished a report that I want to give away but I want to protect the content in this way because I don't want the links or the afilliate links to be changed. How do I do this. I tried to protect it in OpenOffice.org but it didn't work. I use a Mac if that makes any difference.
#content #copying #files #pdf #people #prevent
  • Profile picture of the author BizBoost
    Originally Posted by Ryan700 View Post

    I just downloaded a report that was a pdf file. When I right-clicked on a pararaph in it a warning box came up that said copying wasn't allowed. I just finished a report that I want to give away but I want to protect the content in this way because I don't want the links or the afilliate links to be changed. How do I do this. I tried to protect it in OpenOffice.org but it didn't work. I use a Mac if that makes any difference.
    I'm no newb, but I've never been able to simple copy/paste info from a pdf file... the only thing possible was to return the pdf into edit mode in either WORD or ADOBE PDF and then copy from the source.

    But, if you want to prevent any PDF you create from being edited in such a manner, you should choose to incorporate password protection.

    Google, "How do I password protect a pdf file?"

    Best,
    Eric
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  • Profile picture of the author WinsonYeung
    You need to download another software especially for this to "lock up" your pdf ? I have chosen that in the past, but I have forgotten the name. Will post here if I remember it
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    • Profile picture of the author BizBoost
      Originally Posted by WinsonYeung View Post

      You need to download another software especially for this to "lock up" your pdf ? I have chosen that in the past, but I have forgotten the name. Will post here if I remember it
      Just be sure this does not turn your PDF into an .EXE file for it then can't be read on MACs.

      PDF material can't be "copy/pasted" as normal anyways. So, I think what the gent ran into was a simple HTML lockdown that was in place in one of the browser windows he had open. It affects some, if not all, people, for all windows that are open at that time, including ones with PDFs in them.
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      • Profile picture of the author Ryan700
        Originally Posted by BizBoost View Post


        PDF material can't be "copy/pasted" as normal anyways. So, I think what the gent ran into was a simple HTML lockdown that was in place in one of the browser windows he had open. It affects some, if not all, people, for all windows that are open at that time, including ones with PDFs in them.
        The pdf file in question is one I downloaded and doesn't open in a browser. The message I get is "Without the proper password, you do not have permission to copy portions of this document."

        The following excerpt I copied out of another pdf with no problem. So Pdf material CAN be copy/pasted.

        "You've now learned how to discover potential problems people have
        using the power of forum research. Once you have a rough idea about
        their problems, you can even post a" Excerpted from 100-visitors-per-day.pdf

        Right now as it stands I have a report I want to give away but I want the former to happen and not the latter.

        Thanks
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        • Profile picture of the author John Henderson
          Originally Posted by Ryan700 View Post

          The following excerpt I copied out of another pdf with no problem. So Pdf material CAN be copy/pasted.
          Ryan, material can be copy/pasted from a PDF if the author permits it.

          The original Acrobat PDF creation software from Adobe allows authors to decide whether copy/paste is allowed or not and whether printing is allowed or not. I'm not sure if other PDF creation options offer this, but judging from Vince's reply, it looks possible.
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  • Open Office will allow you to lock your PDF -- but you have to do that from the FILE menu, not the icon at the top.

    Export as PDF, go to last tab on the menu that pops up, select a password and choose your restrictions.

    HTH
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    • Profile picture of the author Ryan700
      Originally Posted by Vince Runza Online View Post

      Export as PDF, go to last tab on the menu that pops up, select a password and choose your restrictions.
      HTH
      I've tried this several times and I was still able to copy and then paste into my text editor.
      Signature
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  • It works for me if I uncheck "Enable copying of content". I have no idea what you're doing. If you're doing the same, I'm baffled.
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    "The will to prepare to win is more important than the will to win." -- misquoting Coach Vince Lombardi
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    • Profile picture of the author Ryan700
      Originally Posted by Vince Runza Online View Post

      It works for me if I uncheck "Enable copying of content". I have no idea what you're doing. If you're doing the same, I'm baffled.
      This might be a Mac VS. PC problem in OpenOffice.org. I"m going to check it out right now.
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      • Profile picture of the author Ryan700
        Originally Posted by Ryan700 View Post

        This might be a Mac VS. PC problem in OpenOffice.org. I"m going to check it out right now.
        I'm back and it still didn't work even after I opened the ODT file in OOO on my wife's PC and exported to pdf with permissions set to not allow copying.
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        • Profile picture of the author Bev Clement
          Unless the correct options are chosen then you will not be able to stop copying.

          For the person who said you can't copy and paste from a pdf that is not true. I could copy and paste from many bought pdf's right now with no special software.

          Ryan, I don't have a MAC, but I do know Open Office.

          File
          Export to PDF
          Security
          Set permission password
          type in the password
          and you will find that Printing and Changes are now able to be accessed.

          These are defaulted to allow copying.

          You have to manually change it to stop copying.

          Once you have done it once, it will automatically default to stop copying, but if you want to allow copying then you can
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          • Profile picture of the author Wakunahum
            You really can't actually prevent it.

            There are ways of copying any pdf file with software. (Don't ask cause I'm not gonna spread that information).

            And even if the software doesn't work, you can't stop people from simply retyping the information they see on their screen or scanning in printed pages to their computer.
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            • Profile picture of the author MaskedMarketer
              Originally Posted by Wakunahum View Post

              You really can't actually prevent it.
              Unless the OP has a shi*ty product

              Still, even with locking and protecting it, it still can be copied like you mention.

              Nothing is 100% as there is always away around it.

              Which means, you can't stop it from being copied, only can make it more difficult.
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          • Profile picture of the author Ryan700
            Originally Posted by Bev Clement View Post

            File
            Export to PDF
            Security
            Set permission password
            type in the password
            and you will find that Printing and Changes are now able to be accessed.

            These are defaulted to allow copying.

            You have to manually change it to stop copying.
            I found it! I had the "Enable text access for accessibility tools" checked. Here I was thinking I was doing a good deed for the "sight impaired" and this was my problem all along. Thanks for all the help everybody. Now I can concentrate on something else. Woohoo!!
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  • Profile picture of the author protected
    There are many software available on web to secure your PDF Documents...
    You can download them from download.com
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    Best Regards
    Rajiv Pandey
    I write here- http://rajivpandey.com
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    • Profile picture of the author keyaziz
      If you get the adobe acrobat pro you can put a security password on to stop copying and printing if you desire. You can get a 30 day free trial of it at the moment too.
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  • Profile picture of the author dave147
    [DELETED]
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    • Profile picture of the author Ryan700
      Originally Posted by dave147 View Post

      Try this:

      Go to ezinearticles and type in "how to password protect your pdf for free"

      This sounds promising but it seems like it's PC only. I'd have to create it in OO.o on my Mac, email it to myself and then protect it on the PC and then email the protected document back to myself. Wow!
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  • Profile picture of the author Bev Clement
    Exactly make it difficult even if it's not impossible. Most people are lazy and don't want to bother with scanning or typing up a report/book.

    I lock most of my reports, and if they really want to steal it, then I plan to make it as difficult as possible. If they want to spend time scanning or typing or doing anything else, then nothing will stop them, but it might deter some from doing it.
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  • Profile picture of the author BrianMcLeod
    Here's how to protect a PDF on the Mac in OSX 10.5.x (Leopard):

    Open the word processor document you want to protect and choose Print from the File menu.

    Then select Save As PDF from the pop-up menu at the bottom left of the Print dialog box:



    Next, it will give you the usual Open/Save dialog box to navigate where you want to save the PDF. Also, it will ask you for the meta information for the PDF (author, title, etc). Below that is a button called "Security Options", click that:



    Lastly, enter the options you want to use to protect the PDF (no copying, no printing, password protection to open, etc.):



    Done. And all built-in to the Mac operating system, no need to download or buy any third party anything!

    Best,

    Brian
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    • Profile picture of the author Ryan700
      Originally Posted by LoudMac View Post

      Here's how to protect a PDF on the Mac in OSX 10.5.x (Leopard):

      Lastly, enter the options you want to use to protect the PDF (no copying, no printing, password protection to open, etc.):

      Done. And all built-in to the Mac operating system, no need to download or buy any third party anything!

      Best,

      Brian
      So where were you yesterday? Haha! Thanks for this too. Much quicker!
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  • Profile picture of the author Steven James UK
    Sorry guys but you all have valid methods but I must tell you, If somebody really wants to steal your content, these methods you have posted will not stop them.

    There is software available for free which gets round all passwords and protections.

    The ONLY way to completely stop it is if you write your text in PHOTOSHOP then save it as an image and apply the IMAGE of TEXT through-out your book. Only this will not stop people if they are keen, they will simply type it out.

    But it is the ONLY way to completely stop copy and paste. It's a bit time consuming though, but it gets quicker and easier with practice.

    I thought you guys should know that.

    Steven
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    • Profile picture of the author BrianMcLeod
      Originally Posted by Steven James UK View Post

      Sorry guys but you all have valid methods but I must tell you, If somebody really wants to steal your content, these methods you have posted will not stop them.

      There is software available for free which gets round all passwords and protections.
      I always hear this repeated but I've never actually been able to verify it for myself.

      I'm attaching a PDF to this message of some basic text, password protected in the same way as was demonstrated in my post above -- in other words the way anybody doing it on a Mac might likely be protecting their PDF's.

      It would be totally awesome if someone could crack this thing open and post my hidden message.

      That ought to be a pretty conclusive statement, dont ya think?

      Brian
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    • Profile picture of the author Ryan700
      Originally Posted by Steven James UK View Post

      Sorry guys but you all have valid methods but I must tell you, If somebody really wants to steal your content, these methods you have posted will not stop them.

      There is software available for free which gets round all passwords and protections.

      Steven
      I just want to protect it from the 99% who won't try anything harder than a right-click. There are work-arounds for everything but my report will be aimed at newbies so these methods should do okay.
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  • Profile picture of the author tj
    If you are worried about that someone steals your content - there will be always a work around to steal it. If you limit the options for your buyer for instance to print out the content you're maybe also limiting the chances that this buyer is buying your next product.

    Timo
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  • Profile picture of the author Bev Clement
    Brian what you have done is password protected the whole file, and the rate of refunds on this is huge, because people don't always get the password, they then don't keep the password in the same folder so the file becomes useless.
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    • Profile picture of the author BrianMcLeod
      Originally Posted by Bev Clement View Post

      Brian what you have done is password protected the whole file, and the rate of refunds on this is huge, because people don't always get the password, they then don't keep the password in the same folder so the file becomes useless.
      You've misunderstood, Bev. This isn't about normal product delivery.

      It's about being able to easily crack the password protection.

      That's the claim. This is the test.

      I actually very rarely ever protect PDFs AT ALL. Once in blue moon, honestly.

      This is merely a science experiment -- one designed to help marketers decide if protected PDF's are as naked as some would have you believe or as protected as others would have you believe.

      If someone was able to crack open my PDF above with one of the freely available solutions people mention often in these discussions, and then post my hidden message, I think THAT would be a very valuable thing for forum members to see happen.

      Best,

      Brian
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