Firefox allows the printing of PROTECTED files on my server. WHY?
ALL other browsers RESPECT the fact that a PDF file is password protected and does NOT allow this file to be printed. Fire Fox violates this rule and let's internet users simply by pass the protection and print the files. That really SUCKS! This should be fixed to comply with common practices. Will this be fixed?
Chosen solution
John, your reply of: "Basically if an image is published it is likely to be copied one way or another. Maybe consider watermarking and or only providing low resolution copies of images in such pdf s.
I will close this question. Anyone wishing to give detailed advice may do so in your original thread
Firefox allows the printing of PROTECTED files on my server. WHY? /questions/992183 edit Made link to previous post ~J99 I could certainly copy an image from a pdf displayed or downloaded by browsers other than Firefox."
IS WRONG. I am NOT talking about an IMAGE being copied from a screen. That, of course, can be done by almost anyone. What I am talking about is that FIREFOX, contrary to ALL other browsers, ALLOWS the complete printing of a PROTECTED PDF FILE. This should NOT be allowed and this question should NOT be closed and just brushed aside because Mozilla has a MAJOR BUG in their software. Your program should be corrected to RESPECT the protection of a file and NOT allow it to be printed in its ENTIRETY.
NO SATISFACTORY SOLUTION HAS BEEN POSTED. FIRE FOX IS BROKEN AND NEEDS TO BE FIXED. PLAIN AND SIMPLE. DO NOT WHITE WASH A MAJOR CONCERN OF YOUR USERS! Richard Plant
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Chosen Solution
John, your reply of: "Basically if an image is published it is likely to be copied one way or another. Maybe consider watermarking and or only providing low resolution copies of images in such pdf s.
I will close this question. Anyone wishing to give detailed advice may do so in your original thread
Firefox allows the printing of PROTECTED files on my server. WHY? /questions/992183 edit Made link to previous post ~J99 I could certainly copy an image from a pdf displayed or downloaded by browsers other than Firefox."
IS WRONG. I am NOT talking about an IMAGE being copied from a screen. That, of course, can be done by almost anyone. What I am talking about is that FIREFOX, contrary to ALL other browsers, ALLOWS the complete printing of a PROTECTED PDF FILE. This should NOT be allowed and this question should NOT be closed and just brushed aside because Mozilla has a MAJOR BUG in their software. Your program should be corrected to RESPECT the protection of a file and NOT allow it to be printed in its ENTIRETY.
NO SATISFACTORY SOLUTION HAS BEEN POSTED. FIRE FOX IS BROKEN AND NEEDS TO BE FIXED. PLAIN AND SIMPLE. DO NOT WHITE WASH A MAJOR CONCERN OF YOUR USERS! Richard Plant
Modified by John99
Hi Richard, there has been discussion back and forth on this over the past 18 months. It was raised in the forum when Firefox 19 was released. (Example: Firefox 19.0 pdf viewer ignores pdf encryption - how do I get it to honor the encryption?)
Of course, it is technically possible to modify the PDF Viewer to respect the request in the document to disable access to some features, but so far those who prefer user freedom over the interests of publishers have prevailed in the discussion. I'm not sure of the best place to weigh in on that.
Jscher2000,
SORRY, but I disagree. All other browsers respect the author or publisher’s rights and Mozilla’s Fire Fox DOES NOT. That is wrong. This is a Fire Fox problem in ALLOWING users to change a setting and do with protected copyrighted file what they should NOT be allowed to do. I will strongly recommend on my internet servers for my software that USER’S ARE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED NOT to use Fire Fox as it contains serious bugs in its operating system as reported by our users causing computers to crash!
Now, that might be a lie, but I can lie just as well as Mozilla can and if it hurts Mozilla's reputation, so what. They don't care about my reputation or those of hundreds or thousands or even MILLIONS of other authors and publishers. SHAME ON THEM.
Richard Plant
File a Bug report if you think Mozilla is doing wrong.Bugzilla is there for anyone to use.
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/
https://developer.mozilla.org/en/Bug_writing_guidelines
If you do decide to file a Bug report, please take the time to read those guidelines so that you can write an effective Bug report, one that will be taken seriously.
I am not sure where this is best discussed. One of the developers mailing lists possibly.
You certainly will not get developer's attention on this support forum.
I doubt any bug filed will gain traction without prior discussion & agreement from developers. The wider subjects of copyright protection are also offtopic here but of course the problem is not just copying pdfs there is much other media that has copy protection and there are often methods of circumventing that.
Even your current issue is probably not unique to Firefox. What is your site ? can you post a test file ? I imagine I will have no problem obtaining the same files with alternative browsers.
In any event there is a there is a currently open bug and anything filed is likely to be quickly closed as a duplicate of that. Bugs are for developers to work from and not for discussion of the bug merits.
From that comment it would appear the responsible developer is Asa Dotzler and perhaps it may be appropriate to politely enquire in one of his blogs where this matter is being discussed
Another suggestion put your protected files behind a paywall or at least a login for identifiable known subscribers.
Modified by John99
Richard, the horse has left the barn. This fake protection was never secure. Rail against the injustice of it, but please realize that the PDF viewer is only one of many ways to freely access PDF content.