A boss at a company to where I am applying for a job just ask me to share a file that I spent a lot of effort creating. He has also emailed me 3 times (unsolicited) asking questions about my credentials, and he responded favorably to my responses. I'm bothered about sharing my file because I haven't been offered an interview despite all this. I'm feeling forced to share my file with him (to try to get an interview and prevent him from badmouthing me to other bosses in my industry, which is rather close-knit), but I wanted to protect my file too. I've heard about disabling copy/past & right-click on on websites, but wanted to ask all of you for your ideas.

Could you please help?

ADDENDUM:

I really don't want my file distributed widely at this point because I'm hoping to use it as a selling point for my interviews for prospective jobs.

My file is a PDF (text and images), but I can convert to other file type if it'll help my cause.
Boss is in different state and traveling would be difficult.

Tags: distribution, file, protection, sharing, unwanted

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Permalink Reply by JS on September 5, 2010 at 12:24pm

Upload it to Google Docs or similar service. Should work.
If it's a video, upload it to YouTube or similar service.
Maybe only offer a portion of the file to him as a "free trial".
If they plagiarize it, sue them.
Copyright it.
Have witnesses that you have created this file.
Keep records of every bit of conversation between you and them.

OR

Take a laptop, and go there. Do not hand the file over, only present the file.

It's easy.

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Permalink Reply by Kirk Grames on September 5, 2010 at 12:33pm

I agree with the last statement. Take your laptop in and show him. Thats the only way he would be able to see it, if it were my file.

Good luck

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Permalink Reply by chicgeek on September 5, 2010 at 12:44pm

Thanks. That's very helpful. I do have witnesses, but I really don't want my file distributed widely at this point because I'm hoping to use it as a selling point for my interviews for prospective jobs.

I forgot to mention that my file is a PDF (text and images).

If I use Google Docs, even if I add him as a view-only collaborator to my file, I think he could still save a copy of the file and then have full editing privileges. Moreover, even on view-only mode as a collaborator, can't he save the original file?

I really want to take my laptop and go there so I don't hand over the file, but unfortunately he's in a different state. I suppose there is always pencil and paper to duplicate, but I don't want to make duplication too easy.

Are there any web-based file-sharing modalities that allow people to view but not copy or save ?

Thanks a lot for your time.

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Permalink Reply by JS on September 5, 2010 at 1:29pm

Save it as an image file - no matter what you do, there's always still the screenshot or pen-and-paper.

Save it as an image file, and overlay 75% transparent copyright notices 3-5 times on each page. It won't look very good, but at least no-one will steal it. And put the image in a no-right-click password-protected website.

Should do the trick.