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Participant
April 16, 2024
Answered

Adobe Protect Issues

  • April 16, 2024
  • 3 replies
  • 862 views

Hello Adobe Community,

I currently have an active Adobe Acrobat Pro Plan Subscription since 15th December 2023 at £19.97 per month

I am selling products of my own design, through my own Wordpress website, utilising Woo-Commerce software

These Products include e-books, Educational and Other Teaching Resources

I intend to use the Adobe Acrobat Protect Tools in order to Password Restrict Access and prohibit the editing or copying of my Product files which are to be available as Digital Download Files via my Wordpress website

I have protected a complete Teaching Resource Package and two e-books in this manner, but I have encountered a serious problem during Beta-testing, whereby my customer received the files, but was unable to Unlock and Access the files using the relevant (accurate & exact) Password for the files, and furthermore, when the customer sent me a forward of the email containing the file, 1) I also was unable to access said file using said Password, and 2), I realised that the customer had in fact demonstrated that the file Could be duplicated via forwarding of the relevant Download email!

I would like for you guys to consider my issues in this situation and to provide me with some suitable advice on how to overcome this obstacle to my sales

Thanks

Sincerely,

Mr T Bryan – Director at TTRT & TTCT108 UK

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer try67

Unless you spend a lot of money on a DRM solution there's no real way to do it. A person will always be able to send someone else the file with their password. Also, some PDF viewers don't enforce these security policies at all, and allow files to be opened even without the password, or will remove the policy entirely. That is more tricky if it's a file-open password, but not impossible.

One possible workaround is to embed the person's name in the file (as a watermark, for example). That might cause them to think twice before sharing it, as it would be clear who did it and they'll be open to legal action against them.

3 replies

try67
Community Expert
try67Community ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
April 17, 2024

Unless you spend a lot of money on a DRM solution there's no real way to do it. A person will always be able to send someone else the file with their password. Also, some PDF viewers don't enforce these security policies at all, and allow files to be opened even without the password, or will remove the policy entirely. That is more tricky if it's a file-open password, but not impossible.

One possible workaround is to embed the person's name in the file (as a watermark, for example). That might cause them to think twice before sharing it, as it would be clear who did it and they'll be open to legal action against them.

Ron TyanAuthor
Participant
April 18, 2024

Thank you try67! I felt that was the case but basically found it hard to believe! #Naive much.. Thanks for Your and everyone elses responses, I will now definitely look into a DRM solution - Still using Adobe for Photoshop and Premiere Pro though! Thanks again!

Bernd Alheit
Community Expert
Community Expert
April 17, 2024

Look for a DRM solution.

Ron TyanAuthor
Participant
April 18, 2024

Thank You Bernd Alhelt, I will definitely get one of those no I know what it is! Thanks!

Legend
April 17, 2024

Hi @Ron Tyan ,

This seems like an issue related to Adobe Acrobat Pro. Hence, I will be moving this post to the Adobe Acrobat Community.

Ron TyanAuthor
Participant
April 18, 2024

Thanks ICharles!