Can you protect a document against copying?

[Guest]

I have a document that includes hyperlinks and embedded files. I need to
protect it so that people can read it and open the embedded files and links,
but NOT be able to copy it. (It's going to a client that has multiple
vendors who will read it, and we don't want them copying our documentation
and using it in their proposals)

Because of the embedded files and hyperlinks, I cannot use a pdf format.

Is there any way to get that functionality in Word?

 

[Graham Mayor]

This is not possible - even with PDF. Any document you allow someone to see
can be copied fairly easily.

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

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[Guest]

You can't copy pdf files without losing format, and you can't copy graphics
in pdfs at all....

 

[Graham Mayor]

Rubbish! You can copy *anything* you can see.

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

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[GKnight]

There is an option in Adobe Professional to protect the document to prevent
it from being copied.

Granted if you were so inclined you can do a print screen capture and then
use a graphics tools to capture the data but you would not be able to
actually retrieve the txt/images without unprotecting the document.

I am not aware of this functionality within Word but is there a reason why
you can't use PDF format? You can place hyperlinks in there.

 

[LC Killingbeck]

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You can't copy pdf files without losing format, and you can't copy
graphics in pdfs at all....

Bah! I can always take a picture of the screen with my digital
camera. Print it. OCR it back to text of some form. Crop out the
pictures. Record the screen with a video camera if there is
motion. Format of the original file (Word, PDF, text, even
encrypted strongly data once it has been decrypted and displayed)
is all totally irrelevant to such simple techniques.

All you can do is make it somewhat more difficult that copying a
file. But you can not stop it, if someone is determined. If I'm
your customer (e.g., paying you for some service), all you'll
likely do is make me prefer your more customer-friendly
competitor who does not go out of their way to make my life
difficult!

Lynn Killingbeck

 

[JoAnn Paules [MVP]]

Print Screen

 

[Graham Mayor]

The protection only works in Adobe Acrobat. I'm sorry but you have a very
naive idea of what is possible with computer software. I will repeat again
*ANYTHING* that you can see can be copied. Measures such as PDF only make it
a little more difficult to do so. The OP wanted to protect the text from use
by third party rivals. This is not possible if those rivals can see it. It
may be a little more trouble to recreate protected documents, but it can
certainly be done.

Acrobat is capable of protecting documents against opening by the use of
passwords and encryption, but as soon as they are opened for viewing, they
are vulnerable to copying.

If you could come up with a way to prevent copying and still allow the use
of the material, the entertainments industry (for one) would reward you
beyond your wildest dreams.

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

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