[OT] Enforcing policies (was: PDF is blocked for printing, etc. OK for acroread (it behaves as expected), but KPDF allows me to print it, even if it is protected! Why?)

[Camaleón <noelamac@gmail.com>]

On Mon, 19 Apr 2010 22:56:05 +0200, Merciadri Luca wrote:

> Camaleón writes:
> 
>> IANAL, but you can always take the "legal" path and require that the
>> person you are giving the documents first signs a contract to prevent
>> sharing, extracting or printing data. I know this can sound a bit
>> strict measure but is a very usual method in many companies to prevent
>> data leakage, depending upon the importance of the material they share
>> with another "partners".

> Yes. But what happens if they do not sign? 

If they do not agree with the terms, then they cannot access the doc.

> Do you then have any proof
> that you did not ask/blackmail them to prevent them from signing? 

In any kind of contract, both parts have to agree the terms. No 
agreement, no contract.

> More
> generally, how can you prove that if they did not sign, it is because of
> their personal opinion? 

All of us hold our "personal opinions" and nobody can force any user to 
sign any contrat they don't agree. But then the relation between two 
parts stops there. As I don't know what are all of your specific 
situation details, I'm also unaware if this kind of agreement is out of 
place or just fits well within your environment.

> That is some part of the problem. Note that next
> year, I will make people sign. I think that in a > 18 yr. world with
> engineering students, students should be more responsible about their
> duty/ies.

In open source world, it is not so uncommom to make people who wants to 
participate in some aspects of sensitive developing (i.e. fsf) to sign 
and agree with their terms, regardless the age of the developers (if they 
are young, they parents have to agree). That is the only way to protect 
(free) the code.

>> You can enforce a PDF to use DRM *and* activation measures. I have
>> found some e-books that I was not able to open with Linux boxes and
>> forced the user reading it on screen just under windows machines with
>> Acrobat Reader
>>>6.
>>
>> More info here:
>> http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/329/329059.html
>>
>> What you have to ask your boss if this is worth for it as you are
>> imposing many limitations to the person you are "lending" the document
>> and also, you need a server (and a license of "Adobe Content Server")
>> to host the files and manage the DRM licences and restrictions :-/

> Thanks. I read it, but this is quite commercial, isn't it?

"Quite"? Full, I'd say :-)

But is you who seeks for a "comercial" solution. Only proprietary tools 
(Adobe Reader?) enforce the use of the kind of policies you are looking 
for.

Inside open source world is a bit difficult to find programs or tools 
that make what you are looking for, that is, preventing users to make 
their own :-)

Greetings,

-- 
Camaleón