Files module

Digital rights management

Digital Rights Management (DRM) is a term used to suggest restrictions on a user's permissions for a file. Typically, when a user can access a file on their own computer they have full rights to that file. For example, they can view, print, download and share the file with others and edit the file, if it is in an editable format (i.e. Word files, but not Adobe Acrobat files). When DRM is applied to a file, some or all of these permissions may be removed and the file may be changed through the addition of uneditable watermarks.
There are two separate (DRM) options available in Collaborate, which can be configured by the Site Administrator, as discussed here.

Enabling DRM options

In the
Admin
 tab, open
Module settings
 then
Files
. Tick the
Enable online viewer with DRM
 checkbox.
Managing DRM permissions
To manage DRM
permissions
 for User Groups, click the
Admin
 tab then select
Groups
 in
User management
. Click the
More options
 icon for a User group, select
Set group permissions
 and
Files
.
Alternatively, a site administrator can manage DRM for each folder or file. Click the
File
 tab then the
More options
 icon for a folder or file, select
Edit details
 and
Permissions
.

Collaborate DRM options

There are two principal ways of configuring digital rights management on a Collaborate site:
  • Previewer
     - The previewer displays documents in the browser. The original document is not downloaded to the user's computer and cannot be shared and the user does not need to install the native application. The previewer requires an HTML5-compatible browser
  • PDF Encryption
     - With PDF encryption, a file is converted to PDF (if it is not already in PDF format) and then FileOpen encryption is applied to the PDF file. The PDF version of the file can be freely downloaded but to view the file in Acrobat, the user must first enter their Collaborate
    userid
     (email address) and password. The file can be saved, copied and shared, but anyone else who tries to view that file is required to enter the original user's authentication information
When DRM is applied to a site, it is applied to every file in that site. However, additional restrictions can be imposed on certain files or groups:
  • Disable Print
     - Users in a group with this option cannot print the file. A watermark is added to the file to indicate this permission has been restricted
  • Disable Save
     - Users in a group with this option can only view the file in the previewer, they cannot download or save the file. Deselect this checkbox to permit users to download a 'native' version of a restricted file (or all of the files in a folder)
note
Disable Save options must be enabled at the system level for this to be displayed. Contact an account manager to enable this feature
  • Add Watermarks
     - A site administrator can add a watermark to previewed or downloaded documents. If the document can be printed, then the watermark appears on every page of the printed document. This provides the flexibility to allow the file to be shared in hardcopy while alerting any recipients about the sensitive nature of the file and allowing the file to be traced back to the person who shared it. The watermark is only visible when the file is viewed in a browser (with the previewer) or on a computer in Adobe Acrobat
    • IP address
       - The user's IP address is inserted
    • Email address
       - The user's email address is inserted
    • Printing disabled
       - This option reminds the user that they cannot print the document
    • Confidential
       - This option reminds the user to treat the file as a confidential document
    • Custom text
       - This option allows the site administrator to add custom text as a watermark
note
See
Managing groups
 for more information about how a site administrator can configure
User groups
.

Who is impacted by DRM restrictions

As described below, while all types of users are impacted when DRM is applied to a site, certain users can avoid the limitations imposed by DRM. For example, site and content administrators and users with
Add File
 or
Folder Admin
 permissions are given the option to download the native version of every file, without watermarks. DRM restrictions are mainly intended to limit access for users who only need to view files.
File and folder creation and editing by role
Role
Add File
Edit File Metadata
Add New Version
Check Out/ Check In*
Cancel Check Out*
Delete File or Folders
Send Files to Site Inbox via Email**
Send Files to Folder via Email**
Add/Edit Folder
Bulk Upload
Site Administrator
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔ (for any files)
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
Content Administrator
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔ (for any files)
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
File and folder creation and editing by permissions
Permissions
Add File
Edit File Metadata
Add New Version
Check Out/ Check In*
Cancel Check Out*
Delete File or Folders
Send Files to Site Inbox via Email**
Send Files to Folder via Email**
Add/Edit Folder
Bulk Upload
View Folder
-
-
-
-
-
-
✔ (will not see Inbox email address)
- (any emails sent to folder will be rerouted to Inbox)
-
-
View Files
-
-
-
-
-
-
✔ (will not see Inbox email address)
- (any emails sent to folder will be rerouted to Inbox)
-
-
Add Files
✔
🗶 (only on add, not on edit)
✔
✔
✔ (for own files)
🗶
✔
✔
🗶
🗶
Folder Admin
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔ (for own files)
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
*Check out/check in can be performed only if enabled for the site.
**Email inbox is only available if enabled for the site.
Manage files and folders by role
Role
View Version History*
View Comments**
Add Comment**
View, Download or Preview File
Who's Reviewed
File Audit
View File Metadata
View Folder
Bulk Download ***
File Index****
Search
View Folder Properties
Send Email
Site Administrator
✔ (will see even if Versions are not enabled for the site)
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔ (option to include all versions; available even if Bulk Downloads are not enabled)
✔ (available even if File Index is not enabled)
✔
✔
✔ (can send to any user or org in the site)
Content Administrator
✔ (will see even if Versions are not enabled for the site)
✔
✔
✔
✔
🗶
✔
✔
✔ (option to include all versions)
✔
✔
✔
✔ (can send to any user or org in the site)
Manage files and folders by permissions
Permissions
View Version History*
View Comments**
Add Comment**
View, Download or Preview File
Who's Reviewed
File Audit
View File Metadata
View Folder
Bulk Download ***
File Index****
Search
View Folder Properties
Send Email
View Folder
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
✔
✔ (only the folders)
✔ (only the folders)
-
-
✔
View Files
✔
✔
✔
✔
-
-
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
-
✔
Add Files
✔ (will see even if Versions are not enabled for the site)
✔
✔
✔
-
-
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
-
✔
Folder Admin
✔ (will see even if Versions are not enabled for the site)
✔
✔
✔
✔
-
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
*Version history is only available if enabled for the site.
**Comments are only available if enabled for the site.
***Bulk download is only available if enabled for the site.
****File index is only available if enabled for the site.
Manage files and folders by role
Role
Move
Copy (In or Out)
Sort
Change Permissions
Break Inheritance
Manage Inbox
Manage Deleted Items*
Site Administrator
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
Content Administrator
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
Manage files and folders by permissions
Permissions
Move
Copy (In or Out)
Sort
Change Permissions
Break Inheritance
Manage Inbox
Manage Deleted Items*
View Folder
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
View Files
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Add Files
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Folder Admin
-
-
✔
-
-
-
-
*Manage delete items is the ability to restore Files that had been deleted or to permanently delete them.
Digital Rights Management by role*
Role
Save Original (if Printing Disabled)**
Print (if Printing Disabled)
Watermark added (if Watermark Enabled)
Download Original File (Native Format)
Bulk Download to Native Format (Online Viewer)
Bulk Download (FileOpen)
Site Administrator
✔
✔
-
✔
✔
✔ (with opton to download without encryption)
Content Administrator
✔
✔
-
✔
-
✔
Digital Rights Management by permissions
Permissions
Save Original (if Printing Disabled)**
Print (if Printing Disabled)
Watermark added (if Watermark Enabled)
Download Original File (Native Format)
Bulk Download to Native Format (Online Viewer)
Bulk Download (FileOpen)
View Folder
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
View Files
-
-
✔
-
-
✔
Add Files
✔
-
✔
✔
-
✔
Folder Admin
✔
-
✔
✔
-
✔
*There are two DRM options:  Online Viewer and PDF/FileOpen Encryption.  The behaviour of each is the same for most actions. For each DRM method, the ability to print and save can be enabled and watermarks can be enabled or disabled.
**With the PDF/FileOpen encryption method, there is no restriction on saving the PDF files, but any file that is saved is subject to the same encryption restrictions as the original.

Accessing the original file

A user with
System, Site or Content admin permissions
 can download the original file, without any restrictions or watermarks, even if DRM or FileOpen PDF encryption has been applied.
The user can download the original file:
  • In the file
    More actions
     menu; select
    Download original
  • On the file information page; select
    Original
note
However, if using the previewer, the user is still subject to save, print and watermark restrictions.

Accessing the previewer

If the Previewer DRM option is applied, users must view the contents of a file in a separate browser window (i.e., the previewer). There are two variations on how the previewer can be accessed, depending on how a site has been configured.
  1. When the user clicks on a file name, the file automatically opens in the previewer window.
  2. When the user clicks on the file title the
    file information
     page appears and from there the user can select
    View
     to view the file in the previewer window, or the user can select
    View
     from the
    More actions
     menu.
The default previewer
The previewer does not require the user to install the file's native application. For example, if the file is a PowerPoint file there is no need to install PowerPoint. No software is required other than an HTML5-compatible browser.
The preview typically maintains the look and feel of the original file, including formatting, images and pagination. Here are some key features of the previewer:
  • Depending on the configuration of DRM options, the user may be able to print the file. Select the print icon.
  • The full text of the file can be searched, provided there is text in the file (for example, PDF files that are scanned but not OCR'd do not have any text to search).
  • It is possible to zoom in and out of the preview.
  • Use the navigation controls to quickly jump to a different page.
  • The preview can be viewed in full-screen mode
  • The file can be scrolled through horizontally
If a large file is viewed and it has not finished loading, the user can view the file download progress and start to read the file.
Select
Exit
 to close the window.
Disable printing
If the site administrator has restricted the user's right to print the file the previewer is almost identical, except:
  • The Print icon has been removed; the user cannot print the file.
  • A 'Printing disabled' watermark has been added to the preview version of the file.
Watermarks enabled
If the site administrator has enabled watermarks, but the user can still print the file, the previewer is almost identical, except:
  • The watermark includes the user's email address and IP address. The user can print the file, but the watermark appears on every printed page
note
Please note that the document will not be watermarked if it has encryption applied to it before you upload the file to HighQ.

FileOpen PDF Encryption

If the FileOpen PDF encryption option is enabled by the site administrator, a regular user can only download a protected PDF version of their files. Either click
More actions
 >
Download
:
Or click the file name and then select
Download
 in the viewer:
To open a FileOpen encrypted PDF file, the user must install a plug-in. This can be accessed through the help information at the top of the screen:
note
See
Open a FileOpen secured file on an iPad or iPhone
 for information on the iOS version of the FileOpen plugin for Apple mobile devices.
When the user attempts to open the downloaded PDF file, they see a login prompt.
At this point, the user must enter their Collaborate username and password to open the file in Acrobat. The FileOpen plugin securely communicates with the Collaborate server to determine if the login information is accurate and if the user has permission to view the file.
note
The user can open the PDF file from any computer, not only the computer where the PDF file was downloaded.
Internet access is required to open a protected file.
The user must log in for each file, even if one file is opened directly after another.
Revoking access to content
Because each user needs to authenticate to open a file, the ability to view a file can be revoked at any time. To do so, remove the view rights to the file or folder from the appropriate security group. If a user in that security group attempts to open the file, the authentication fails.
note
Although it is not possible to set an automatic expiration date on access, a site administrator can manually revoke access at any time.
Accessing the FileOpen encrypted PDF file
When the file opens, the title is suffixed with the word
(SECURED)
.
If the site administrator has not applied any restrictions on printing and no watermarks have been added, the file looks like any other PDF file.
note
However, if the user shares the file with another person, that other person would need to enter the original user's Collaborate information to open the file.
If printing is disabled, then like the previewer, the
Print
 option is not displayed and the
Printing disabled
 watermark is visible.

This article applies to:

  • Product: HighQ
  • Subject: Documents,File Exchange

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