Engineering Companies

Protecting Repair manuals and Parts Lists and specifications

Using Safeguard PDF Security to protect Intellectual Property

One of the biggest problems for manufacturers of large and complex machinery (aircraft engines, mechanical diggers and scrapers, rocket movers and so on) is parts lists and repair manuals or online machine manuals. These are usually large documents that have to kept bang up to date or they are not much use (can even be dangerous). And they also have to be made available to authorized dealers and distributors.

Paper distribution of manuals ceased in many sectors (aerospace, motor, major plant and fabrication) years ago, first in favor of micro-fiche and then using CD or DVD as it because more practical to update and distribute these through copying houses. That worked for solving the distribution and update side of the system, but once ‘electronic’ or digital copies were available they were too easy to copy and it became simple for a competitor or an unapproved dealer to get hold of a copy and start using the information to deliver unapproved services or in anti-competitive ways. Both of these activities could cause loss of franchise income and potentially reputational loss where work is done with substandard materials or using unapproved alternative parts.

These problems can be resolved by using DRM services to control who is actually licensed to use which documents, and for how long. PDF DRM controls are available to let you stop use immediately (say when a distributor leaves a franchise) or on a preset date because you will republish at that time. Now that cloud technology is proving more popular, with these controls you can make these electronic documents instantly available to authorized users over the Internet, update them online, and ensure that the latest version is always in use – administered from one central point and always under your control.

IPR Protection
Locklizard document DRM enables you to work with partners, suppliers, and outsourcing organisations in a more secure manner.
It provides persistent protection and post delivery control of information even after it has left the boundaries of the organisation.
It ensures your IPR (manuals, documents, etc.) are not re-distributed or shared with unuathorized parties and helps you to protect CAD files from being copied.
You control who has access to your documents, where they can be used, and for how long.
Document control
Locklizard PDF DRM products enable you to retain full control over document use regardless of where they are located:
- Stop copying (stop copy/paste into other applications) and sharing.
- Stop modifying and editing.
- Stop screen grabbing – stops users taking high quality screen grabs using screen grabbing tools.
- Stop printing (or limit the number of prints).
- Expire documents after a number of days use, views, prints, or on a fixed date.
- Revoke documents and user access instantly (regardless of where they are located).
- Allow offline use – no forcing of users to be online to view protected documents.
Document expiry
To ensure outdated versions of manuals and documents are not used, Locklizard PDF DRM software enables you to automatically expire PDF documents:
- After a number of views
- After a number of days
- On a fixed date
- After a number of prints
- When a subscription period has ended
- At any time you decide
You can change expiry dates even after a document has been distributed.
Instant Revocation
Locklizard document DRM enables you to revoke access to both users and documents instantly wherever they are located.
This is important if an authorized user leaves a company or where a mistake has been made in a document that requires access to it to be instantly ceased.
Dynamic Watermarking
You can apply dynamic watermarks to PDF files that automatically insert the users name, email, company name, and a date/time stamp at print time to discourage sharing of printed documents since the originator of those documents is clearly identifiable. Similarly, these dynamic variables can be inserted at view time to discourage users from taking photos of the screen and distributing them.
Because Locklizard document DRM software uses dynamic variables, you only have to protect one document for all users.
Tracking use
If you are sharing sensitive or confidential documents with third parties then it may be beneficial to track & monitor document use to see how they are being used.
- track and log views
- track and log prints
- see what devices & operating systems users are using
Location locking
Locklizard PDF DRM software enables you to lock PDF access to specific locations (say an office) so that documents will only be viewable from this location and no other.
You might need to do this for example for export control reasons where sensitive information should only be viewable in specific regions.
Location locking can be enabled on a global or user basis and at both country and IP levels.
Zero Installation Viewers
If users cannot install a Viewer due to workplace restrictions then Locklizard has two types of zero installation Viewer they can use:
1. Safeguard Web Viewer – enables users to view secure PDF files in a browser on any Operating System or device. This requires users to be online (Internet connection required).
2. Secured PDF Portable – enables users to view secure PDF files on a USB device. The secure PDF Viewer is run directly from the USB stick and can operate in a complete offline mode (no Internet connection required).

Distributing manuals securely on USB devices

In some environments Internet access is not always available and so offline use is a requirement. In addition, users want to be able to share manuals within an organization just like a physical book, and sharing computers is not always a practical solution.

Locklizard’s answer to this is secure USB distribution of protected PDF documents. By protecting PDF files to USB (along with a secure Viewer and keystore), users do not have to install any software or connect to the Internet to view protected documents. Multiple USB devices can be licensed to an organization and shared within that organization as required.

Publishers can publish protected PDF documents to a USB device and license its use before distribution or to individual or multiple documents as and when required.

No software for users to install
Total offline use
Content fully licensed for use or piecemeal as required
Content can be updated (from a computer connected to the Internet)

Customer Testimonials

We needed to deliver e-book versions of our handbooks while not compromising on security and digital rights. Safeguard PDF security is easy to use and intuitive.

The implementation was painless and we now have a greener, more secure way of distributing training manuals.
Locklizard’s PDF protection is exactly as described – the features are highly effective and I would give it 5 stars.

I would recommend Locklizard to others - their security is simple to use and fit for purpose. It meets common needs of businesses who have information they want to protect.
We would be happy to recommend Locklizard to any company needing a flexible way to secure PDF files.

Safeguard PDF Security has provided us with a very workable solution for sharing of information in a secure fashion. The support has been excellent and very accommodating.
We can cut accounts for a user five minutes before his class starts and he is ready to go. Happy smiling customer, while we still have security and personalized watermarking.

I have immense respect for the product and Locklizard provide great customer satisfaction and service.
We would recommend Safeguard to other companies for its security, cost and ease of use. It does what we expected it to do and more.

Ease of use is a bonus and the implementation was very easy. The product manual is excellent and Locklizard staff are very accommodating.
We sell a highly valued educational product in an open and competitive market so it was important to ensure we had effective security to protect our digital rights.

We highly recommend Locklizard - a professional company with a competitive and professional PDF Security product.
We would absolutely recommend both Locklizard as a company, and Safeguard PDF Security. It has transformed our study materials to the next level.

Not only did this increase sales, but we also believe that it has increased our customers’ ability to learn, which is even more important!
We would recommend Locklizard Safeguard to other companies that need to protect PDF reports. Customers have found the process of accessing the protected documents to be seamless.

Implementation was easy and technical support has been very responsive to requests for help.
Our company would without reservation recommend Locklizard. Their document DRM software opens up delivery of our new products in a timely fashion while knowing that the content will remain secure.

The return on investment to our company has been immediately evident.
We use Safeguard to make sure that documents cannot be opened outside our local network or from a unauthorized computer in order to copy or print the documents.

It is the most feature rich, affordable, & simple to use PDF security product on the market.
Safeguard PDF Security is simple to administer and meets our needs, consistently delivering secured manuals to our customers with ease.

Return on investment has been elimination of many man hours, printing resources and postage – it is estimated that costs decreased by 50% or more.
We would really recommend Safeguard PDF Security to every publishing company for managing ePubs or e-books securely. It is easy to secure PDF files and simple to distribute them to our authorized customers only.

Locklizard also provides a good customer support experience.
The ROI for us is incalculable. We have the security of knowing that our proprietary documents are secure. This is the entire value of our company.

I would most certainly recommend your PDF security product and already have. The ease of implementation was surprising.
We can now sell our manuals without the need to print them first, saving time, money and helping safeguard the environment.

We would recommend Safeguard PDF DRM – it is the perfect solution to sell and send e-documents securely whilst making sure someone cannot copy them.
We would recommend Locklizard to other companies without hesitation.

Their PDF DRM products provide a manageable, cost effective way to protect intellectual investment and they are always looking for ways to improve them. Moreover, their staff provide an excellent level of support.