The project consists in creating a script (whatever programming language) that can be embedded into pdf files and can track when they are distributed through email by sending to a mailbox the address of each distribution adressee.
Sample case:
John sends the pdf file to Mary as an attachment to her address mary-AT-nowhere.com
As soon as the mail is sent, the embedded tracker in the pdf sends a mail to trackemall-AT-trackemall.com with following content “The file xxxxxx.pdf was sent from John-AT_bibop.com to mary-AT-nowhere.com”
If Mary sends the file to Jenny at jenny-AT_redgreen.org then the embedded tracker in the pdf again send to trackemall-AT-trackemall.com another message telling that “the file xxxxxx.pdf was sent from mary-AT-nowhere.com to jenny-AT-redgreen.org” and so on every time the file is sent to somebody else.
The tracker shall:
1) be easy to embed at or after pdf file creation
2) work unadvertedly
3) be unmodifiable by the recipient of the file
4) be undetectable by firewalls, anti-spyware, etc.
5) be invisible to anybody
The purpose is to grant the privacy and circulation limitation of the file. By trackin who actually is receiving it it will be possible to monitor abuse.
