FAQs

Do Adobe PDF files expire?
No, PDFs protected by Adobe Acrobat do not expire. Though there are some third-party scripts and plugins that claim to offer expiry controls, they are typically either easily bypassed or represent a major security flaw. For more information see Adobe PDF Security Plugins.
Can you remove a PDF expiry date?
It depends on what you used to apply the expiry and how it implements the controls. Adobe PDF expiry plugins can often be overruled by installing another plugin designed to break their security. On other occasions, users just need to update their Adobe Reader to the latest version or disable JavaScript in their reader and the controls will break. Alternatively, because Adobe Acrobat permissions are useless, the user can simply make a copy of the document before it expires.
Online PDF expiry solutions such as data rooms or cloud storage/collaboration platforms can usually be broken because they are enforced via JavaScript code in the browser. As this code is executed primarily on the client side, the user can modify or disable JavaScript using their browser’s developer mode or a browser plugin to bypass copying and expiry controls.
Expiry dates applied with Locklizard, however, cannot be removed. Users cannot make copies of the document via copy/paste, printing to PDF, screenshot, etc. and are unable to open their document once the expiry date has passed no matter what they do.
Can Calibre remove PDF expiry?
Yes, in fact, this is a common problem for libraries, which make use of Adobe Digital Editions. Calibre’s DeDRM plugin strips all controls from a protected PDF, including expiry, and allows the user to convert it into whatever format they like. This is basically a dream for pirates — they don’t even have to pay for an ebook to be able to share it for free on a mass scale. So, authors and publishers beware — partnering with any library that uses Adobe protection will not be good for your bottom line.
Can users open an expired PDF?
No. Once a PDF has expired it can no longer be opened.
You can, however, change the PDF expiration date on the Safeguard Admin system at any stage if you need to alter it – e.g. you need to extend the life of the document because of delays in delivering it or not updating it in time.
Are PDF expiry scripts safe?
Definitely not. As well as being easy to bypass, expiry scripts require JavaScript to be enabled in the reader application. This is a tremendously bad idea because documents with malicious JavaScript can easily be distributed to users to execute malicious code. See PDF security issues.
If a PDF file expires on a date, can you change it?
Using Locklizard Safeguard, the document Publisher can change the expiry date after distribution for all users or just selected users. End users, however, cannot change the expiry date on a PDF.
How do you unlock a PDF document that has expired permissions?
You can unlock an expired PDF if it uses JavaScript for protection by disabling JavaScript in the application it is being viewed in.
You cannot open a PDF that has expired if it is protected with Locklizard Safeguard. We do not use JavaScript to enforce expiry, so it cannot be disabled or removed.