Combined with access timestamps, they can uniquely identify the source of any shared PDFs.
Source: https://social.coop/@jonny/107685726645817029 – Also includes tips for removing this data.
I knew this wasn’t far off. As a reminder, the authors are allowed to give you the paper if you ask them for it. Don’t need to pay.
Back then, when I was still in academia, I actually put every paper I wrote and the corresponding data/code on my academic website for everyone to download. I can’t understand why this isn’t required for every (publicly funded) researcher!
This should be expected. In the future netflix, YT and Spotify will probably do that to their content as well to combat piracy.
I obviously oppose it. But if privacy is of no value to you (like it is to them), it’s the logical thing to do.
Reminds me of the watermarking RedStarOS does to files
What it does?
But how is this in !privacy? It’s anti-piracy.
If you download a paper you should know that it has a unique fingerprint. If your cloud gets hacked, and the paper released with your “signature”, it affects you.
Yeah, it should be clearly visible. E-books bought from certain shops come with a notice like “This copy was bought by Tiuku” on the first page (and probably they have something like this embedded as well). When it’s done in the open like this, I think it’s a pretty fair way of doing DRM.
Is it ‚really‘ fair, though?
When I buy a physical book, I can borrow it to others or resell it as I please without ever really having to reveal Information about myself. Why must a digital copy of the same book be forever branded with my name/account info?
