Using Adobe's PDF Merchant for secure electronic book distribution

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Conclusion

Adobe System’s PDF Merchant provides a relatively secure system for the retail distribution of electronic books based as PDF files. It also provides the additional benefit of supporting superdistribution. Certain aspects of the system, such as the method for encrypting and obfuscating the Access Key are undocumented. In order to provide a higher level of satisfaction regarding the level of security provided by the "closed system" these algorithms could be submitted for public scrutiny.

However, as long as the amount of effort required to circumvent the protection is more costly than the protected information then the security level can be deemed to be adequate.

PDF Merchant is reasonably straightforward to implement, and provides a relatively secure system when used as a component in a larger security strategy, including user education, and visible enforcement of copyright.

Note

The original version of this document appeared as part of a paper for a Masters subject at Monash University, Melbourne. The version appearing here is abridged.

Bibliography

  1. Forrester Research Incorporated, Digital Distribution Wars, April 1999
  2. Open eBook Forum, Open eBook Specification FAQ, http://www.openebook.org/, November 1999
  3. Adobe Systems Incorporated, Adobe PDF Merchant SDK Reference Manual, December 2, 1999
  4. Adobe Systems Incorporated, Acrobat Core API Overview, Adobe Developer Support Technical Note #5190, March 11, 1999
  5. Adobe Systems Incorporated, Portable Document Reference Manual Version 1.3, March 11, 1999

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