Protect Images from Download

EddieG5 · 2005-09-28 20:10:14

Anyone know of a way to prevent (or at least make it difficult) for someone to right-click/control click on an image and download it? Some nifty javascript?

Joey · 2005-09-28 20:13:55

There is an irritating ‘block-right-click’ javascript, but I wouldn’t use that if I were you. And if people are watching your site…they only have to press tge Print Screen button, and there is the photo…

So I don’t think that theres a real solution for that.

EddieG5 · 2005-09-28 20:18:30

I hear ya … I know if someone really wants to use a photo, they’re going to. But, I’m building a site for a client and he wants something in place that prevents or at least hinders someone trying to take his pictures …

Joey · 2005-09-28 20:29:57

Hmm I can’t help your further…sorry. Although you can add a watermark or something if you’re looking for that kind of prevention.

soulship · 2005-09-28 21:15:55

Do a search and you will find sab_watermark. It works. Not sure on the 4.01, but it may need some tweaking. I have used it in the past. Any routine like this is a lot of work though. I would explain to your client that it is expensive and only a slight hindrance. The best way to protect something is not display it. I had a client who did the same thing. We clashed several times over this issue. The whole point of having a web site is to share ideas or sell crap. Explain that even if someone did save an image that the scope of what can be done with a web tailored image is very small indeed. I ended up doing and example for my nervous client. I batched a bunch of her images down, uploaded them to the server, downloaded them and printed them with her sitting there. They looked like crap, as soon as she saw for herself she understood that she really did not have anything to worry about. Someone who wants to steal your ip will find a way to do it no matter what you do. In fact the very fact that you have used a protective measure can create more of a “challenge” and psychologically make something seem more desireable to have.

That’s my 4 cents :)

Jamie

Last edited by soulship (2005-09-29 20:06:24)

NyteOwl · 2005-09-28 21:51:38

You can make it difficult but anything that can be displayed in the browser, is eprforce downloaded to the client computer and hence inhernetly copyable.

1. Do watermark your original graphics/photos

2. Do NOT use a right click inhibit javascript. It can be bypassed simply by disabling javascript in the browser and reloading tha page – meanwhile it really irritates most people who no longer have access to the context menu.

3. Create a page element of the appropriate size and set the image as the background. Then overlay it with a 1px transparent graphic sized the same. This lets you display the image but if someone right clicks and “saves image” they get the transparenet pixel rather than the desired background image. Of course they can always view and then save the background image – you just slow them down a little except perhaps in the case of an inexperienced surfer and make them work for it.

4. If this is a photo site and they are for sale another option, which makes them less desireable to steal online, is to only display a deliberately low resolution version of the actual product. These cannot be subsequently printed or enlarged without looking ‘crappy’.

A combination of the above should deter all but the most determined of image theives and then they only get a low res version that doesn’t look that good if they try to enlarge it.

Just some thoughts. Hope the ideas help.

Last edited by NyteOwl (2005-09-28 21:58:32)

LeeStewart · 2005-09-28 22:10:25

I worked on a site where we chopped the image into pieces and served them as 4 separate files, tiled using CSS. Not many people willing to right click and download four sections and stitch them back together with PhotoShop. :)

[Lee]

EddieG5 · 2005-09-29 17:21:37

these are great suggestions … i really appreciate it!

ubernostrum · 2005-09-29 17:24:14

My suggestion: explain to your client that he shouldn’t be on the web.

EddieG5 · 2005-09-29 18:13:28

the problem is the client is a personal trainer and has some body building shots … he’s worried that they would be downloaded and placed on “alternative” sites.

reid · 2005-09-29 19:46:25

> EddieG5 wrote:

> the problem is the client is a personal trainer and has some body building shots … he’s worried that they would be downloaded and placed on “alternative” sites.

It’s a legitimate concern, but I’m not sure there’s a solution. I once had some photos I’d taken of boys innocently playing in the fountain at Centennial Park start showing up on a pedophile site called “Wet Boys.” They hotlinked the images right off my server … or I would have never known. That’s when I started this page (though the method is a pain and only works with hotlinked images).

So don’t let anyone ever tell you that the author of an image shouldn’t get to determine the context in which they are viewed.

Just the same, people will do what people will do, and other than the nifty one pixel graphic trick above that will thwart many, I don’t know that there’s much you can do that’s effective.

Neko · 2005-09-29 19:48:07

Make a Flash .swf for each image and maybe add a semi transparent watermark.

Last edited by Neko (2005-09-29 22:19:12)

Textpattern CMS

Textpattern CMS support forum

#1 2005-09-28 20:10:14

Protect Images from Download

#2 2005-09-28 20:13:55

Re: Protect Images from Download

#3 2005-09-28 20:18:30

Re: Protect Images from Download

#4 2005-09-28 20:29:57

Re: Protect Images from Download

#5 2005-09-28 21:15:55

Re: Protect Images from Download

#6 2005-09-28 21:51:38

Re: Protect Images from Download

#7 2005-09-28 22:10:25

Re: Protect Images from Download

#8 2005-09-29 17:21:37

Re: Protect Images from Download

#9 2005-09-29 17:24:14

Re: Protect Images from Download

#10 2005-09-29 18:13:28

Re: Protect Images from Download

#11 2005-09-29 19:46:25

Re: Protect Images from Download

#12 2005-09-29 19:48:07

Re: Protect Images from Download

Board footer