Can I get a reading receipt from a password protected pdf when it has been opened and when the password has been tipped-in?

[liless2018]

hello, who can help?

[try67 · Accepted solution]

No, this is not a feature that is normally available in PDF files. It might be possible if you apply DRM protection to your file, but that is ​very​ expensive.

[liless2018]

what is a DRM protection?

[liless2018]

that is a treaming function, right?

[try67]

DRM = Digital Rights Management.

It basically means that for the file to open it must first contact a web server which checks the user's credentials and other conditions (date, number of views, even IP address) before allowing it to happen. Since it contacts the web-server anyway, you can have a log of all the times the file was accessed.

[liless2018]

Ok. But if checking the users credentials, would the respective user be informed that his credentials are being checked while he opens that document?

[liless2018]

And, one more questions: how Long would that checking take? Is't just few seconds that the user doesn't even notice or would it take a Little while?

[try67]

I can't answer these questions for sure, but my guess is they will only be informed of the check if it fails. And it probably takes a couple of seconds, max.

[liless2018]

So for example:

If I get an email, where a PDF is included, that PDF is password protected. Once I enter that password, a DRM program which must be imbedded in the PDF already, automatically and immediately sends a data log with all my Information (incl. IP adresse, date/ time of PDF opening) to the sender of the email - all that, without me knowing it? Is that possible?

Won't it at least ask me something like "your computer is abut to send the following Information to the sender, do you agree to proceed?"

[try67]

In principle, yes, that's pretty much it, only it's sending that information to the DRM server, not to an email address.

Whether or not there's a confirmation I'm not sure. I think the end-user agrees to it when they originally acquire the file, but I guess it can vary, depending on the exact technology used and the settings in it.

[liless2018]

ok.

As you said earlier, that DRM technology is very expensiv. I would not assume that this technology is being widely used in many companies.

Thanks for all!

[liless2018]

One last question, is that possible to imbed the DRM technology into a simple PDF document? I found some information talking about DRM used only in connection with digital streaming, licensing products, etc.

[try67]

Yes, Adobe offers DRM services for PDF files. I really can't help you

beyond that, as I'm not too verse on the subject and wouldn't like to give

wrong information.

[liless2018]

Thanks anyway. You have been very helpful already!!