PDF irritation

[DevilsPGD]

I opened it in Foxit PDF Editor Version 1.2, and it let me copy any text
I selected to the clipboard.

To prove it, here are the ads from your file:

PDF Extraction That Works
Our flexible tools convert PDF
data
into text, XML, Excel, etc.
www.ql2.com
PDF Extract Tool
Extract text, images, information
PDF dev. tool, easy to integrate
www.pdf-tools.com
Compress, Optimize PDFs
90% faster to transmit & view
PDFs
PdfCompressor 3.0, Free
Download.

You people should listen to me once in a while.

"Price for single user license of Foxit PDF Editor is US$99, much lower
than other full featured editor."

It's not freeware, and hence is off topic for this group.

 

[Uncas]

I opened it in Foxit PDF Editor Version 1.2, and it let me copy any text
I selected to the clipboard.

To prove it, here are the ads from your file:

PDF Extraction That Works
Our flexible tools convert PDF
data
into text, XML, Excel, etc.
www.ql2.com
PDF Extract Tool
Extract text, images, information
PDF dev. tool, easy to integrate
www.pdf-tools.com
Compress, Optimize PDFs
90% faster to transmit & view
PDFs
PdfCompressor 3.0, Free
Download.

You people should listen to me once in a while.

Foxit PDF Editor is still not freeware.
...
Uncas

 

[Eric]

Try this one <http://www.widewaterfilms.com/other/protection_test2.pdf>
it has the minimum protection: 40 bit, limit on "copy item" only.

Ghostscript still wouldn't re-distill it to another PDF when I tried.

 

[PDFrank]

Foxit PDF Editor is still not freeware.

I see that no one commented about the guy who posted the link to the $10
cracking program.

Foxit PDF Editor is not a cracking program and will solve the original
poster's problem without costing him a penny.

 

[Mike Dee]

Try this one
<http://www.widewaterfilms.com/other/protection_test2.pdf> it has
the minimum protection: 40 bit, limit on "copy item" only.

Ghostscript still wouldn't re-distill it to another PDF when I
tried.

Thanks, I was able to open this one...

But I may have to revise my original optimism

Danged if I could get GhostScript to redistill from a .ps printout of
your original. I ended up running it through Acrobat Distiller (and now
OT) with far better results. Maybe it's other than GhostScript produced
PDFs that I've had success with. I will need to look more closely at my
output from now on.


<copied&pasted>
Reply

Jeff Needle Sep 27, 5:00 pm show options

He's talking about Adobe Reader Version 5

instead of Version 6.

Sheesh, I'm an idiot. Thanks.

of 9 9/28/2005 9:

</copied&pasted>

 

[Uncas]

Uncas wrote:



I see that no one commented about the guy who posted the link to the $10
cracking program.

Foxit PDF Editor is not a cracking program and will solve the original
poster's problem without costing him a penny.

That post slipped by me, but I cannot see how using Foxit PDF Editor
wouldn't cost Jeff Needle a penny. It is clearly not freeware. Surely
you're not suggesting that he should break the EULA?
...
Uncas

 

[Petersen, Vegard Krog]

I'm sorry, I've lost track. What does this refer to?

Foxit v. 1.2 build 020
And he either wants to know if you have an e-mail box that can handle an
1 mb+ file attachment, or from where he could upload and send you the
file (try http://www.yousendit.com/)


--
Vegard Krog Petersen - Norway

http://vegard2.no -
Solitaire MahJongg guide, Sarah Michelle Gellar Solitaire,
Freeware Logo & symbol, Halma & Chinese Checkers,
Pachisi & Ludo, Freeware Solitaire, My fishy site (fishing
games), a.c.f.g information, Fredrikshald Havfiskeklubb
18+ sites: Firefoxy, Adult Solitaire, Fishy Pictures,
Sexy Chess, Sexy Librarians, Sexy Football
---------------------------------------------------------

 

[B. R. 'BeAr' Ederson]

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 12:24:37 -0700, Jeff Needle wrote:

[Remove Copy/Print restriction from *.pdf files]

Most protected *.pdf files, I came across up to now, could be
de-protected by Ghostscript/Ghostview. With the current versions
GS_8.51 and GV_4.7 you just select File->Convert... inside Ghostview
and use the device [pdfwrite] for output. The result will be okay in
most cases.

Btw.: The little test file of Eric was no problem, at all... ;-)

BeAr

 

[Jeff Needle]

That post slipped by me, but I cannot see how using Foxit PDF Editor
wouldn't cost Jeff Needle a penny. It is clearly not freeware. Surely
you're not suggesting that he should break the EULA?
..
Uncas

And here's where my conscience comes it. The agreement says I can use it
on an evaluation basis. I only need it for a day or two. Am I breaking
some moral code by using it for a few days and then uninstalling it? I
don't know.

 

[Jeff Needle]

Foxit v. 1.2 build 020
And he either wants to know if you have an e-mail box that can handle an
1 mb+ file attachment, or from where he could upload and send you the
file (try http://www.yousendit.com/)

I'm downloading the file right now from their website. Thanks.

 

[Jeff Needle]

And here's where my conscience comes it. The agreement says I can use
it on an evaluation basis. I only need it for a day or two. Am I
breaking some moral code by using it for a few days and then
uninstalling it? I don't know.

Replying to my own post...

I've downloaded the Editor, and it's absolutely, positively perfect for my
needs! Amazing!

I will likely pay for the program and keep it forever. Thanks to all, my
problem has been solved.

 

[PDFrank]

That post slipped by me, but I cannot see how using Foxit PDF Editor
wouldn't cost Jeff Needle a penny. It is clearly not freeware. Surely
you're not suggesting that he should break the EULA?

The evaluation agreement is not time-limited in any way.

 

[Uncas]

The evaluation agreement is not time-limited in any way.

My understanding was that Jeff was going to put the program to more or
less continuous use. He seems very happy with it. I'll check it out
myself. Thanks for the suggestion.
...
Uncas

 

[Jeff Needle]

My understanding was that Jeff was going to put the program to more or
less continuous use. He seems very happy with it. I'll check it out
myself. Thanks for the suggestion.
..
Uncas

Just to clarify, I needed it for a single project, which is now done. But
I'm so pleased with it that I'm likely to buy it in case the need arises
again in the future.

 

[H-Man]

That's not going to work either.

First off, there is a setting that turns of the print function and they
probably did that if they went to the trouble to restrict copying.

Even if they didn't restrict printing, anything Ghostscript based will
NOT re-render it to a new PDF. I tested that on a file I created that
was set to allow printing but not allow copying. I got the following
error:

This PostScript file was created from an encrypted PDF file.
Redistilling encrypted PDF is not permitted.
%%[ Error: undefined; OffendingCommand: get ]%%

GhostScript Error 1
Error, no PDF file produced! (False)

Looks like password protection IS sent to the ".ps" file. I print to a
Apple Laserwriter and then run the .ps through Ghostscript. You're back
to cracking the password before doing anything else.

If anybody else wants to test... I've put a fully protected PDF showing
one page of this thread at:

<http://www.widewaterfilms.com/other/protection_test.pdf>

Eric

Here's the text as extracted by GSView v4.6 of the above protected page.
******************************
Google Groups : alt.comp.freeware
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.comp.freeware/browse_thread/thread...
1 of 5 9/28/2005 8:53 AM
Members: Sign in
New users: Join
Google Groups
Recently visited [clear]
alt.comp.freeware
comp.os.linux.networking
comp.unix.solaris
aus.computers
******************************

In the interest of keeping this short I've truncated the rest, but GSView
will extract this text just fine. Any other restrictions in PDF files can
be worked around, but things can get messy. To answer the OP's question
though, GSView will get you there.

http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/gsview/

 

[B. R. 'BeAr' Ederson]

In the interest of keeping this short I've truncated the rest, but GSView
will extract this text just fine. Any other restrictions in PDF files can
be worked around, but things can get messy. To answer the OP's question
though, GSView will get you there.

As I posted here

Message-ID: <[email protected]>

in this thread: Ghostscript/GSView not only let you extract the text.
One can create a similar looking deprotected *.pdf file. (Using the
'Convert' function.) The only glitch might be a resolution drop if
the input *.pdf has very high resolution images included.

BeAr