Program that allows me to change pdf files

[Gary W. Swearingen]

Joe Malin <jmalin at jmalin.com> writes:

> Not so strange. Adobe doesn't mind handing out the specs for creating a
> PDF; that just makes the format more popular.

Is the specified format proprietary (meaning in this case: protected
by patent)?  I.e., is it only their permission/license that allows one
to create a PDF file, or is everyone free to write PDF creation and
editing software without restriction?  (Excluding encryption/DRM
aspects of PDF which I suppose are not spec'd.)

> What they do is hold on
> tight to anything that would help you *edit* a PDF. And editing is
> harder to do than writing.

How do they hold on to that?  Surely a PDF spec is help for creating
a PDF editor.  Do you mean they just don't give software and/or
algorithms, or that they have some means to truely prevent (through
technical or legal means - which?) others from publishing an editor?


BTW, reading into the 3 MB license for the v.7 Adobe reader, I see it
now has evil indemnity clauses that are spreading like melanoma.
Grrr.  Now I only have to worry that use of xpdf, kpdf, etc., aren't
a violation of some patent that I'm unaware of.  But I guess if that
was to scare me off, I probably wouldn't even be using Linux.