I know what it is, I won't reveal though as I don't want to spoil the ebook.

yuk!

Quote from: vindapoo on June 25, 2013, 12:43 PM

If I paid for a pdf I'll do whatever I want with it. Any author who thinks he can control content post sale is deluded and/or naive.

What you do with a PDF for which you have paid is entirely your affair; my objection is solely to the fact that you are inciting others to unlock PDFs by deliberately posting a URL to a site that exists for no other purpose.  This web site / forum / whatever exists to disseminate information concerning curries and related matters; it is /not/ a forum for hackers, on which such links are the norm and therefore to be expected.

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All forms of DRM are bad form and ultimately pointless.

In your opinion.

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A piece of work is either copyright or its not. No amount of useless virtual 'padlocks' will make the slightest difference.

When you have a physical book, it contains a statement of copyright.  The only way in which you can remove that statement is by tearing out the page or by snopaqueing over it.  An unlocked PDF is entirely different; it is possible to remove a copyright statement and leave behind no obvious trace.  /That/ is why locked PDFs exists, and why I believe it is incumbent on us to respect the right of an author to distribute his or her material in locked format. 

** Phil.

Perhaps you misunderstand.

unlocking a pdf is not hacking. pdf is an open standard and I can print and lock any pdf I like.

I think you are getting confused as its entirely legitimate in the same was as unzipping a file.

Well, I've made many dozens of pizzas and it's definitely not an urban myth. Next time try to do it as I said and do one as you said at the same time and you'll see the difference. Yes, the dough will still rise but no air in the dough means no big bubbles.

nope!

Like I said it did flatten it, had to pop the bubble under the grill as it was going the pay of a chapati - one big bubble!

Quote from: goncalo on June 24, 2013, 04:45 PM

I can't help but grin at the fact that Phil is questioning the ethics of pdfunlock and george is asking for help on how to unlock digital rights. Suddenly I get this flashback from an old post where George lectured Phil on ethics and moral because he posted copyrighted ebooks (or links) to the forum.

To the best of my knowledge I have never posted copyright material, although I have occasionally quoted brief excerpts and given full credit to (and acknowledged the copyright of) the original author.  My concern is not that one user unlocks one of Mick's files :  that is an individual choice, and I am not going to get worked up about it.  My concern is with the ethics of posting a URL that will allow any user to unlock not only Mick's PDFs but many others as well.  I cannot speak for Mick, but I /believe/ that he distributes the PDFs in locked format not to stop printing (printing is enabled but limited in resolution) but to stop (a) bulk copying of the content, and (b) removal of his copyright notice, which would then allow unscrupulous individuals to put copies up via (say) BitTorrent, announce their existence (without any acknowledgement of Mick's copyright) and then others who download them would be completely unaware that they had just downloaded copyright material.  Mick charges an extremely reasonable price for his e-books; should we not, in return, do him the courtesy of respecting his copyright and keeping to ourselves any knowledge we may have on how such PDFs can be unlocked ?

** Phil.

If I paid for a pdf I'll do whatever I want with it. Any author who thinks he can control content post sale is deluded and/or naive.

All forms of DRM are bad form and ultimately pointless. A piece of work is either copyright or its not. No amount of useless virtual 'padlocks' will make the slightest difference.