Is it possible to force a copy of a protected Google doc?

copy google-docs
Mr_Dave picture Mr_Dave · Oct 28, 2016 · Viewed 86k times · Source

Google docs can “lock” a page so that it’s impossible to copy from its text. This seems wrong to me; shouldn't a computer’s ability to copy and paste be intrinsic? I can’t understand how a webpage can “overstep” its authority and prevent my computer from doing something totally natural. It seems that if I can be served and display text that I should be able to copy it.

How does this webpage prevent my machine from copying?

Answer

Sasha Sachi picture Sasha Sachi · Sep 29, 2017

Here is how to copy (or print) the protected google sheet values.

NOTE: With this technique you can copy the cells from each sheet; it's not possible to duplicate the spreadsheet file itself. Formatting is preserved but formulas are not.

  1. Change the URL to:

    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/1/d/***[document id]***/preview

    The document ID is the random string found in the google sheet URL that is normally 40 to 45 characters long.

  2. For each sheet, type Ctrl+A, Ctrl+C

  3. Paste the cells into another spreadsheet. Formatting

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