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A
Anonymous
April 26, 2011
Question

Print out secure Ebook as a file = DRM removed?

  • April 26, 2011
  • 2 replies
  • 10451 views

Hello all.

I´m posting a question, I have wrtitten to Adobe about, but never recieved an answer to.

Maybe someone in here can clear it up:

Dear Adobe

We are considering buying a Content Server solution [...] for distributing binders [...]. But we became aware of at problem: Is it really possible to buy a Digital Editions Ebook, download it (open it in Digital Editions), and then later choose to print it out as a file? I seems to me, that I actual - in Digital Editions - can choose Microsoft XPS Document Writere as my printer. The result is a XPS file, thats looks like the original, but has no DRM on it at all. Am I overlooking something?

Kind regards

Is this really possible?

This topic has been closed for replies.

2 replies

D
defaultw8dwclon7f5z
Participant
May 31, 2021

What an idiotic reply. You must be a geneous, your son must be proud!

F
Frustrated in AZ
Participating Frequently
April 26, 2011

The starting point is whether the publisher granted permission to print the

book in the first place. If you look at the properties of an individual

ebook, you'll find out whether it's printable or not. You do this by the

drop-down menu of item properties, which is the little arrow on the book's

avatar.

You can designate MS XPS Document Writer as the system printer, then open

ADE and try it with an ebook that has permission to print, and see what

happens.... I think, as you do, that it will work fine.

If it does work, and you're planning to print multiple copies, be sure to

check with the publisher on reprint limits, if any. If the ebook is

purchased, then you might have some fees associated with multiple copies,

though.

Hope this helps!

==============

A
Anonymous
April 26, 2011

Thanks for the reply.

And: You are right. If printing is allowed, it is possible to print out the book as an XPS document. But: It seems very strange to me, that it is possible as a default. I have´nt encountered an eBook, where it was not possible. Thats means: The DRM can be removed by a very, very simple method - just by choosing a default printer in Win 7. For a person, that is thinking about buying a Content Server Solution, it makes no sense.

And about reprint limits - they dont apply to the XPS document. It can be reprinted as many times as you wish.

What do you think?

Kind Regards

J
Jim_Lester
Participating Frequently
April 27, 2011

Yes, the design of ADE may not be able to protect the information the way

you want it to. ADE is designed for the commercial world, not the academic

one. I don't know what other systems are available for your situation. The

only control in the situation you describe is IF the publisher decides to

restrict printing. You might be able to work with your IT department and

design material that would restrict printing - and thus sharing - for your

unique situations. I used to design computer systems, so I know it's

possible....

================


There is no technical solution for what you want to do.  You want to allow an analog hole within the system (printing), but you don't want the consequences of having an analog hole within the system.  As an example, even if Adobe were to figure out all printer drivers and only allow the ones that actually print to paper (and ensure that it actually prints to paper), the user can just as easily put that paper that they just printed into a scanner  (which problably cost less than your textbooks, btw) and recreate the book with the same fidelity that they would get from going to a printer driver.  Yes you have one small additional barrier, but it is a very small one.

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