Comments on: Help me remove PDF DRM

Question: Help me remove PDF DRM

geoff. — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 07:08:41 -0800

I wish to purchase a book and need it immediately, there is a PDF option but it appears that it uses some strict DRM -- such as only being able to use it on one computer.

I have a laptop and a desktop, I go between the two frequently. Will there be much of a problem removing DRM from an Adobe Acrobat 7 document? How would I accomplish this?

By: bhance

bhance — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 07:49:02 -0800

Without getting into a legal/moral discussion, it depends on the DRM. Some are easily defeated with the usual suspects, some other 'DRM' is actually native PDF stuff that can be circumvented with non-cracking skills like 'removing the pdf password'.

Others, mainly those that use some sort of authentication between your machine and a central key/content server are, ah, problematic. 'FileOpen WebPublisher' is one that comes to mind.

I've actually seen people purchase and print their onetime PDF purchase, then scan it back in on a flatbed and OCR it. Yay DRM.

By: flabdablet

flabdablet — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 08:31:19 -0800

Install a PostScript printer driver (there's an Agfa one built into Windows XP). Print the PDF to it, and check the Print-to-File option. You now have a PostScript document that should look exactly the same as the PDF. Use GhostScript to play with it.

Come to think of it, if you just install something like CutePDF, you might be able to print it straight to another PDF.

Yay DRM.

By: Rhomboid

Rhomboid — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 09:07:09 -0800

In my experience PDF Password Remover instantly and painlessly removes all restrictions on a PDF file. I don't know if it will work in your specific case.

By: primer_dimer

primer_dimer — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 09:31:46 -0800

My solution (on linux) was to grab the source code of pdf2pdf (or similar), comment out the lines that check for password protection, compile and use it to make a new pdf without protection. I seem to remember it was an ebook that I used it on. Post a comment if you have any problems; I can probably still find the code somewhere.

By: Steve_at_Linnwood

Steve_at_Linnwood — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 09:36:34 -0800

In Mac OS X you can remove PDF password restrictions using ColorSync app. (found /Applications/Utilities/ColorSync Utility.app)

Open the restricted PDF in ColorSync.
Choose File: Save as, and name it whatever you like.
Open the saved file in Adobe Reader or Preview and enjoy!

By: sonofsamiam

sonofsamiam — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 11:27:17 -0800

I have had a lot of success with GhostScript and the old pdf_sec.ps trick.

You basically just overwrite the section of GhostScript's code that enforces the protections.

By: blue_beetle

blue_beetle — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 12:23:20 -0800

DRM on PDF's is ridiculously easy to overcome, as has been mentoned before, just print it to another PDF and you'll have an almost exact copy without having to any sort of crazy cracking or hacking or whathaveyou. I just wish audio DRM was as easy to remove.

By: erebora

erebora — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 12:53:10 -0800

By: aaronetc

aaronetc — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 16:11:06 -0800

Thanks S@L; I frequently come across academic PDF's that I want to quote in my own work, but which require a password to copy out of. Resaving the files is a lot easier than retyping whole paragraphs all the time.

By: litlnemo

litlnemo — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 17:06:53 -0800

I am having the same issue, needing to use a file both at home and at the library on my laptop, but when I tried the S@L trick I just got a document full of blank pages. *sigh*

By: litlnemo

litlnemo — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 17:07:57 -0800

Is that because printing is disabled for the document, perhaps?

By: Steve_at_Linnwood

Steve_at_Linnwood — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 17:47:34 -0800

Is that because printing is disabled for the document, perhaps?

I really don't know. This is really a bug and not a "feature" in ColorSync. You used to be able to do in in Preview.app too but they fixed it OS X 10.3 if I recall correctly.

Are you opening in ColorSync and then saving or printing?

By: litlnemo

litlnemo — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 19:11:33 -0800

Yes -- it just opens as blank pages, however. And then if I save it it's still blank pages. Darn.

By: litlnemo

litlnemo — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 19:50:34 -0800

I think the issue is that it is an e-book with DRM and this is different from the normal password protection, perhaps. (Clarification is welcome.) All I know is that I would like to access it on both of my computers. *sigh*

By: blue_beetle

blue_beetle — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 06:56:06 -0800

You might be interested in knowing that gmail will remove DRM on PDFS.

By: litlnemo

litlnemo — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 15:04:06 -0800

I was excited for a moment, but guess what -- that one doesn't work either.