Protecting Images

... I have tried searching for a thread that might address this but no luck.

I want to protect images (including those that pop-up) on a website I am designing, from being "right clicked" and copied or saved as... Is this something that can be done in WD8Premium or will it require HTML or PHP scripts...

I suppose I could use low-res images and make it less desirable to right click to download, but that will defeat the effect/purpose of the website, which is geared toward selling images. Watermarking is an option but takes a lot of time on an image intense site.

Thanks,

SD

Have a look at Encrypt Web Pro

The way it works is you publish your site to a folder first then use Encrypt Web Pro to protect the content. After you have encrypted your site, then you have to use an FTP program to move the encrypted files to the server. And unfortunately, you have to do this every time you make changes to the site.

You can also disable screen capture (Print Screen) but I don't suggest this because it brings us a scary warning in Internet Explorer (and perhaps other browsers as well).

Hey Gary,

Yeah, I see there are compromises no matter what direction I go. In all reality, anyone that wants to steal something will find a way.

I did a simple protect script in the Head section and it works in IE but doesn't in FireFox... so, I think in the interest of efficiency and keeping the cost/time element in check, low resolution images are probably the route I will go. Too bad, as the site is geared toward people liking what they see and ordering....

Thanks for the input.

Dave

Is this any good from Zaphrodeist from an earlier thread not 100% if Active x disabled

i use the bottom one

Attachment 94002

Scruffy

I think the right mouse click thing is pretty pointless. Anyone who might use your images for commercial gain/as their own/whatever in such a way as to cause you financial loss, is also most likely savvy enough to know where those images are and how easy it is to get them (either from the browser cache, or via the direct link in the HTML, or a screengrab, or .. ).

There are solutions out there that use PHP to watermark images "on the fly" so that the end user can't get at the non-watermarked version. I think that's a far better solution.

Alternatively, it should be possible to batch-edit (outside Xara) a group of source photographs to add a watermark before you add them to the site.

what you could do to stop the right click method is to put a tranparent rectangle on top of the image - but like others have said a screen grab and other methods could be used - ive put a transparent rectangle over the photo of the hotel front on the right of the homepage of my signature website - try it - i could be wrong :-)

No problem copying the image directly..

oh ! i lust get a black square if i copy/paste

Ah, you're right - I didn't even open the image up!

It's a clever trick - essentially copying a transparency that sits over the proper image.

It won't save you though, a screen grab and crop is pretty simple.

yes very true - if someone wants an image bad enough they willl find a way to get it

Ingenious (and cheap) method!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pauland

I think the right mouse click thing is pretty pointless. Anyone who might use your images for commercial gain/as their own/whatever in such a way as to cause you financial loss, is also most likely savvy enough to know where those images are and how easy it is to get them (either from the browser cache, or via the direct link in the HTML, or a screengrab, or .. ).

There are solutions out there that use PHP to watermark images "on the fly" so that the end user can't get at the non-watermarked version. I think that's a far better solution.

Alternatively, it should be possible to batch-edit (outside Xara) a group of source photographs to add a watermark before you add them to the site.

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I agree, watermarking is the best solution. It's simple enough to grab an image even if there is an invisible image overtop. Regarding the hotel, 16526.jpg, took less than 10 seconds in FireFox, so rightclick enabled or not isn't truly effective.

Encrypting html is pointless, which is more obfuscating than encrypting. Even if the html was truly encrypted, in order for your browser to display the page properly, it would need to be decrypted. Rather than spend the money on something to obfuscate the html, purchasing a program that does mass watermarking, IIRC, some will watermark, create thumbnails, and resize in one package.

i didnt say it was unbeatable - it only helps with the right click - just out of interest what did you do in firefox to get the image ??

cheerz

If you right-click over the hotel, and then choose "view image info", you will see your transparent image displayed and a list of every other image loaded on the page. The actual hotel image is the next one up on the list. It even lets you save it..

ah well back to the drawing board lol :-)

Cheerz

In firefox all you need to do is rightclick, then select view page info and click on the media tab which will list all the media on the page individually. You can click on each image link and it displays the image and allows you to copy the url or save the image to your computer.

The main message is that anyone with plain old firefox has immediate access to any image loaded by the browser, regardless of whatever protection scheme you might try and apply to a web page.

Batch processed watermarks and server-side automated watermarking don't have this vulnerability.

Personally, I think to worry about people running away with your artwork is mostly unfounded.

Just show images on the page that are at resolutions that make them unusable for most commercial practices. Most people grabbing images wouldn't be buying them in any event, nor are they using them for commercial gain, so in that respect they should have no impact on anyone.

If the images really are valuable, watermark them properly.

It's easy enough to watermark your images as you create your site. Just create your watermark, place it over the image, select both and group.

See attached xar

Hi

You could ghost your url over the picture, light enough not to ovet power the subject image but enough to spoil a copy.

This is a way of protectin your work and promoting your website at the same time.

Mike.

If interested, I just wanted to add that you can batch process and copyright images using Adobe Lightroom or Paint Shop Pro Photo. Both of these programs are reasonable to purchase and both will batch process the image. I typically use Lightroom to watermark because I can also reduce the size and quality of the image while saving the copyright onto the image all at the same time. Very quick and simple. I just make sure that I have it save the new set of images in a new folder (typically named Web Ready Images). Any time I post an image to the web, I resize it and copyright it. I figure if people do right-click-save the image it isn't going to give them a very nice print if that is what they are going for. If they just want to post it on their blog or facebook, etc. it will be promoting my business by the copyright on the image.

I just thought I would share. Now, if I could only get busy and finish my darn website so I could get it live on the web. ;-)