How to stop people stealing my pics

[heletia]

Hello,

ok so far i have added the html codes for:-

- No Right Click
- No Select All
- No Image Tool Bar

But I've just been told that there are others ways people can steal the pics. 

Does anyone know any other codes we need to add to stop the stealing??

Thanks
Heletia

[Tranz]

You can watermark them. Otherwise, if images can be viewed, they're already on the visitor's computer. You also stand to alienate users who use the right-click for other reasons.

Don't put the images online if you're that worried about theft.

[François Keller]

Hello,

ok so far i have added the html codes for:-

- No Right Click
- No Select All
- No Image Tool Bar

for information, your "no Right Click" code doesn't work by me with Firefox: I can save the pics without problems  :-\\

So TranzNDance said

Don't put the images online if you're that worried about theft.

[artistsinhawaii]

Heletia,

I second what everyone else has said before.  All the steps you are taking will only thwart the novice user and annoy the more experienced users.  Like TranzNDance suggested, watermark your photographs.   Click on "Home" above this messageboard and search for "Watermark".  I believe someone came up with a mod that will watermark as you add pictures to your site.

Another suggestion though.  In config, either set your maximum size smaller than what you currently have or replace your original uploads (larger images) with a lower resolution image of the same file.  72dpi versus 300 dpi.  This way, at best, your users will only get a smaller copy or lower resolution of your pictures.

Hmm.. I just noticed that some of your thumbnails don't link to an intermediate image properly.  You might want to do an update of thumbnails and intermediate size images from the ADMIN TOOLS option.

Dennis

[heletia]

Hello all,

These are special photos being supplied to me by one our television networks from various tv shows which is why we dont want them stolen.. mainly as we dont want them added to any other site.  ive managed msn/yahoo groups etc for over 9 years now and people just wont ask first, its very frustrating.

I'm hoping with the no right click, disable tool bar and no select all will be enough of a deterrant.

Also I am NOT allowed to watermark them either as that is a criminal offence known as 'defacing'  as they are not MY pics.

FIREFOX: so what broswer are you using??

Im only a novice with this mysql etc and will pass your comments re thumbails onto my friend who helps me with the galleries.

thank you everyone for your efforts
Heletia - from the Land downunder

[artistsinhawaii]

I don't know what else we can add, Heletia, as stated above, as long as an image can and is displayed on a user's browser, it is already copied to his/her computer.  One only needs to look into his/her temporary internet files to dig it out. Clicking File + Save As also downloads and saves most files.   Even if you disable menus, the user simply has to type in the URL that shows in the status bar to the file and that will reenable their menu options again.   These schemes also do not work on all browsers. 

There are tracking watermarks that place an invisible digital mark or code on images so that they can be traced for illegal use on the net.  I think one of the most popular is Digimarc. http://www.digimarc.com/mypicturemarc/how-it-works/default.asp

You may be also interested in the following discussion about the prevention of Hotlinking to your website: http://forum.coppermine-gallery.net/index.php?topic=11935.0

Dennis

[Tranz]

OK, then... watermark the images with the network's logos. Seems most tv shows are watermarked anyway with the channel logo.

[heletia]

All the screen grabs already have the offical logo on them... but it doenst matter as people crop them off anyway.

Ah well, if there was anyway this stealing/copying could be stopped from here, i would gladly give a donatoin or pay a monthly amount.

Thanks for all your help
Heletia

[heletia]

Gidday,

This is obviously a very important issue to alot of people judging by the amount of times this thread has been read and since my post yesterday, I have recieved 18 emails from people who also want help with this problem.

Maybe this is something that the creator of the gallery could perhaps consider - or is that out of his hands.

See ya
Heletia

[artistsinhawaii]

Heletia,

Currently there are NO methods of absolutely protecting images from being stolen off of websites.  As mentioned in our thread there are methods to make it difficult for less experienced websurfers, but not for the more seasoned.  And if anyone is offering to sell you their services and claiming that they can give you exactly what you want, then I say approach with extreme caution and I  wish you all the best.

Currently, digital (invisible but trackable) watermarking is perhaps the best way of 'protecting' images, but does not guarantee that someone will not copy it and use it despite warnings. 

Don't waste your money.  Search the net.  If you don't see it there, it's not available -- period.


Dennis

[Tarique Sani]

well put Dennis

[Joachim Müller]

as stated before - there's no fool-proof way to stop image theft.

However, another suggestion to make it harder for thieves: get a client application that will generate Flash movies out of your images - a flash movie that only shows one single frame in an endless loop will make it nearly impossible for non-experts to make a "right-click"/"save as", so the only option they will have then is making a screenshot - you can spoil this by using interleaving techniques.

Please understand that this trick will have some drawbacks as well:

• The app to create the flash movie will cost you some money
  
• You will have to learn how to use it effectively, or hire someone to do this for you
  
• Coppermine can't create thumbnails from flash files, so you would have to create custom thumbnails using a client app -> using coppermine will become a bit more complicated for you

Yet another option: there are desktop apps that turn one single pic into many parts and create the surrounding html for you to make the pic appear as one on the screen only. RightClick/SaveAs will only give the thief an unimportant little part of the pic. Drawbacks: still screenshots are possible; coppermine is not capable to upload the surrounding html and the single little pic parts easily.



Third option: make the pics appear as background image of a table with a transparent gif in the front (within the table cell). Will fool newbies, however the pic will exist in the browser's cache still, so experienced users will be able to steal it. Will not work in all browsers.


Bottom line: don't publish content on the internet if you're afraid of theft.