Password protection issue

[Flareman]

I presently use ACAD2000 for in-house drawings and send electronic issues as PDF files. Periodically some clients ask for .dwg and I do this reluctantly at the end of the job, with a whole bunch of codicils about the ony "real" drawing being the print which I have on file. When I'm in control of fabrication it's not too much of a headache.

Currently I have a situation where a client wants .dwg so that he can change them later by adding stuff before he sends drawings to his fabricator.

Would anyone like to chip in with experience or advice on how I can protect the stuff I do whilst giving him the rights to add to the drawing. One way I thought of was to use his title block exclusively and send drawings marked "unchecked".
Another way would be to add notes all over the place referring to the client's reference drawings. Then I would have to use either CADLock or ACAD2004 to seal up my drawing completely which is not the original intent.

Whilst I'm asking, if anyone can come up with a really convincing argument around this, which allows me to pursuade my employer to spring for an ACAD2004 upgrade I'd be quite happy.


David

 

[architech]

Even a "hard print" can be forged.
What's to stop someone from taking your hard copy and TRIMMING out the border and slapping your work on their border.

Not to sound harsh but this was a practice before CAD.
The only real manner to protect your work is to copyright it. Unless your client paid for the design where all documentation becomes theirs at the end of the job. (This would include DWGs)

Just my 2 cents.

 

[CADaver]

Depends on the CONTRACT. If the file is a deliverable, it's his file, not yours.

If the file was never specified as a deliverable in the contract, you are under no obligation to provide it. If you wish to do so to keep your client happy (bill him for it or not), then do so with the CONTRACTED stipulation that you no longer have any liability for the content of the file.

 

[FacilitiesCAD]

I like to have files sent on CDrom with some sort of mark as uncontrolled document. You can note if the file saved date is more recent than the date you burnt it onto CD its not your controlled document.

Thanks

 

[tgreif]

Don't use saved file dates as your control. It's WAAAYYYYY too easy to modify a file's date attribute.