[xep-support] Re: PDF Read Only

[Michael Sulyaev]

On 02/15/2012 08:04 PM, Betty Harvey wrote:
> Is there an XEP extension for making the PDF read only?  I wasn't able to
> find one.

Hello Betty,

"Read only" may have different meanings. If you think of a PDF as of any 
other file, than this is an OS level attribute, and it should be set 
using OS tools (such as chmod a-w in *nix).

A PDF viewer application may allow printing, modification, copying and 
annotating of a PDF file being viewed by the user. The PDF file being 
displayed in an application may declare any of the above mentioned 
actions as prohibited. Please read along here: 
http://www.renderx.com/reference#Security.

I believe you may want to set owner password, to not set user password, 
and also allow print, copy and annotate operations, but not modification:

<?xep-pdf-ownerpassword YOURPWD?>
<!-- ?xep-pdf-userpassword NOT SET? -->
<?xep-pdf-userprivileges print copy annotate?>

Let me also suggest to consider that Acrobat family is not the only set 
of applications that are capable to read and write PDF files. Some other 
applications may probably behave differently in what concerns PDF security.

Regards,
Michael Sulyaev
RenderX