Creating Web Links to Adobe Reader

Although you can freely distribute Adobe Reader via CD-ROM or other external media once you're authorized, you can't host the Adobe Reader software on your Web site. Doing so violates Adobe's licensing requirements. If you want users to access the Adobe Reader installer, you can create a link to Adobe's Reader.html Web page.

On many Web sites, you'll find a button that links users to the Adobe site to acquire Adobe Reader. Figures 1.3 and 1.4 show examples of common Web page icons that direct users to download Adobe Reader. Clicking either button takes the user to the Reader.main page on the Adobe Web site.

Figure 1.3. The familiar Get Adobe Reader icon is often seen on Web pages to indicate a link to Adobe's Web site, where users can download the Adobe Reader software.

Figure 1.4. A more recent icon links to the same Web page for downloading the Adobe Reader software.

You may want to use the icon shown in Figure 1.4 on your own Web site to direct users to the Web page where they can download Adobe Reader. When you open the www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/distribute.html?readstep Web page and click the link for permissions and trademark questions, the agreement.html Web page opens. On this Web page you'll find a licensing agreement. Click the I AGREE link. The next Web page contains Permissions and trademark guidelines information. Among the links listed on the page is a link for requesting stock art and images. Click the Use of Adobe icons and Web logos link on the left side of the page. Another Web page opens detailing licensing restrictions. On this page you'll see icons that you can download and add to your own Web pages as long as you comply with the listed guidelines.

Why create a link to Adobe's Web site?

If you or your company produces PDF documents, you'll want visitors to your Web site to enjoy the full functionality of the most recent Adobe Reader software version. Your PDFs might contain features not available to users of earlier versions. To help users obtain the most recent product, you can guide them to the same location where you initially acquired the Adobe Reader installer.