Protect PDF against copying or printing
 

How can I do it in ubuntu?
OpenOffice 3.2: File - Export to PDF -> Password on copy and print doesn't help. After exporting I can easily copy text from PDF file

And you selected the security options for not printing?

I think this is a futile quest.

All the security options do is make copying or printing difficult, but, if someone wants the contents badly enough, he or she can simply make screenshots and string them together.

Of course I did.
I know.

:) You do like to do things the complicated way. Using pdf2ps will convert a (password protected or not) pdf to postscript. ps2pdf will convert it back, minus any password that it had.....

Paul.

The reason I asked is because I tried it and it worked for me correctly.

What viewer are you using?

I'd do know of a reader that was written to ignore security.

(Grin) Actually, I've never had a need to do this, so I've never been interested in finding an easy way to do it.

The point is that someone who wants to rip off content will find a way. It can be inhibited, but not prevented.

I have always guided myself by the principle that the internet is a public place, every little nook and cranny of it.

As an aside, I am continually amazed at web sites which think they can lock down content by disabling right-click or installing some java to disable highlighting text. Most of the ones who do this, though, seem to have no content worth ripping off . . . .

If the security is done in such a way that it can be ignored, is it really security?

Good point.
Counter point.
Is any OS secure? Is any application secure? Is any data really secure?

I think we may agree that security only limits exposure and can't prevents loss.

with the package "pdftk" you can protect your pdf's with 40 or 128bit encryption and set permissions such as 'no print', 'only low quality print' ... as you like.

But here's you would be actively preventing anyone from gettings te data, not just att some extra data that tells some readers to not let the user see it.