The latest version of Microsoft's hugely successful Office software suite launches on Tuesday, with its most eye-catching feature a new ability to make documents and emails "self-destruct". Experts say the feature should act as a barrier against sensitive information being copied or leaked, but they say it is unlikely to stop any determined attempt. Office 2003 features new versions of Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint, along with various usability tweaks and new functionality. But the software also comes with the ability to let users control the way other people use the documents they create. This can be used to prevent other people forwarding, copying or even printing a protected email message or document. "It should work," says Simson Garfinkel, a computer forensics expert at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). "But it could be defeated by a hostile user. There's no way you could prevent someone from taking a digital picture of the screen." Garfinkel said that the problem is similar to the one faced when trying to develop copy-protected music formats. Even the most tightly controlled music can be recorded as it is played through a speaker, a problem referred to as "the analogue hole". Full article oer at the New Scientist.