The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 18.0407  Friday, 22 June 2007

From: 		Gabriel Egan <
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Date: 		Thursday, 21 Jun 2007 22:28:16 +0100
Subject: 18.0392 Shakespeare Reworked
Comment: 	Re: SHK 18.0392 Shakespeare Reworked

Roger Leeming wrote

 >Now I have completed almost all of the plays . . .
 >The work is in PDF format thereby preventing
 >copying and printing . . .

PDF format doesn't prevent copying and printing, although to sell copies 
of their authoring software Adobe will tell you that it does. (Google 
'crack PDF' to find any number of utilities that will strip off the copy 
protection.)

But why would you want to prevent users copying and printing your work, 
Roger? Did you ever xerox a page of a book or article to help you do 
your work? Imagine if the xerox machine company and the publisher of the 
stuff you wanted to copy were in cahoots, and had found a way to prevent 
you copying that page. Wouldn't you feel that your legitimate creativity 
was being stifled?  If so, consider the creative users of your work and 
remove this intended barrier.

The most you can achieve by locking your stuff away is frustrating 
legitimate users with limited technical skills. Anybody who really wants 
to exploit your work for purposes you don't support (say, republishing 
your work for money you won't see) won't be stopped by Adobe's digital 
locks, or indeed anybody's locks: there are no uncrackable locks.

Gabriel Egan

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