[SEL] Re: Secure Pictures and Manuals

Bill Dickerson bill at antique-engines.com
Mon Feb 28 18:17:30 PST 2005


Jeff is right. I have a whole collection of password hacking applications,
ways to bypass Microsoft office and Windows installation protection schemes,
as well as for several other applications, abilities to copy DVDs and CDs,
etc. Not that I actually do, but it's my hobby to see what I can hack or get
into.
It's also part of my job to know what can be done and how easily. I'm on a
security team at work.
Part of the way to keep ahead in security is to know the foe - you have to
play devil's advocate.

PDFs are protected only when the displaying application agrees to not let
you print, save etc - what if you had a viewer that simply ignored that plea
inside the PDF? Well, such apps are free for the downloading, meaning I can
display and print any PDF - even with the printing disabled.
There are also hacking apps that break passwords in PDFs - I have a couple
of those as well.

I'm with Jeff and Jerry.............

Bill
 

-----Original Message-----
From: sel-bounces at lists.stationary-engine.com
[mailto:sel-bounces at lists.stationary-engine.com] On Behalf Of Jeff Allen
Sent: Monday, February 28, 2005 7:33 PM
To: The SEL email discussion list
Subject: Re: [SEL] Re: Secure Pictures and Manuals

Peter,

I hate to say it, but I think you are destined to failure on this. I can rip
a dual layer 7.5 Gig commercial movie, and burn it to my single layer DVD.
In the process I strip all copy protection and region codes. 
The program I use is free. If I can beat that copy protection, I doubt we
will ever come up with anything that will prevent the dishonest from using
our data as they wish.

Jerry probably has the best solution.

>What I plan on doing is to add the words "Downloaded free from 
>www.oldengine.org - not for resale" on to every page as well as 
>superimposing it onto all illustrations (of course, in such a way that 
>it does not cover any important part of the illustration).
>
It won't prevent copies, but will make them work for their money. Most
thiefs are lazy, so this should work to some extent. I'll link to an example
in a bit, and you guys can play with cleanup.

Jeff



Listerdiesel wrote:

>On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 15:44:18 -0700, Jeff Allen <transteck at earthlink.net>
wrote:
>  
>
>>Peter,
>>
>>I don't think you can prevent a screen capture. It would take on 
>>helluva code writer to do it, and if it was done for a PC..............
>>
>>I would switch to the Mac and snag it.
>>
>>I have just decided I will share information that I have. I really 
>>don't care if people download it for their own use. As I said the last 
>>time this came up, if I see my stuff on e-bay I do have an option. 
>>Point the bidders to the free version on my web pages. That should 
>>kill the auction and provide me with some entertainment. :-))
>>
>>Jeff Allen
>>    
>>
>
>Hi Jeff:
>
>I am all for people downloading for their OWN use, it's those that go 
>on from there and start to market the stuff that I am after stopping.
>
>We have something like 10,000 pages of stuff here including the old UK 
>Patents going back to the 1800's that I would like to put up online, 
>but as soon as the first pages became available they were pirated 
>almost within hours of appearing, and that was without me even 
>mentioning the fact that they were there!
>
>I know that Paul Evans tried password protecting the access, but that 
>becomes an administrative nightmare and takes up time, so I think he 
>dropped it eventually.
>
>I don't want to get into a commercial vending operation, this is 
>supposed to be a hobby, I am just trying to find a way that works for 
>us all.
>
>Peter
>  
>

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