Protect CSS, Images & Source Code

[dc1pop]

Hi,

I run an arcade site and im now getting ded up of all the sites stealing my design. Is their away ways i can either protect all my images or hide my CSS or even encrypt it as im now getting rather anoyed.

Thanks,
Darren

 

[LeetPCUser]

http://www.mtopsoft.com/encryptpro/faq.htm

Here is a program I found. It is $29.95. I will keep searching.

 

[dc1pop]

Thanks!

 

[LeetPCUser]

Yep. Let me know if you use it.

 

[stscac]

This is a problem that you're just going to have to deal with. Most of the functions that you're going to be able to use to disable the stealing of images is done with javascript, and that can easily be disabled by someone that really wants to get your content.

There is also a javascript function to disable the right click on two button mouses. In Firefox, it will still display the proper alert, but still give the option to save after.

As for CSS, there are different methods to include it within your document, but no real sufficient way to protect people from stealing it, since it is a text document with no authentication required.

Let me know know if you're concerned about anything else.

-Steve

 

[LeetPCUser]

I did find that site that supposively sold software for $30 to fix this issue. Are they lying in the fact that it won't "properly" fix the problem? I am interested.

 

[apexad]

with CSS, the browser has to find it, un-encypted somewhere. that is the bottom line. Whatever that program does, people could still find ways to get it. After all, if the browser can see it, it has to have been downloaded in an un-encypted form somewhere. As for images, worst comes to worst all a user has to do is simply hit the 'print screen' button and do some cropping.

 

[TeviH]

Yea, this is a problem I've been wondering about, too. Bottom line - there's no fool-proof method, but the more difficult it is to get the code and images,the less likely your stuff will be stolen. Kind of like putting "The Club" on your car. Theives will just move on the next car...

 

[Dan]

dc1pop, report them where ever you can and try to get their site taken down.

Once you put something on the internet, it is copyrighted although things can be released with liscenses, etc.

 

[dc1pop]

Well the host and the site is in greek so i have fat chance but il see!!

 

[hanz]

I am not sure how good it is, but you could try it http://www.ioncube.com/html_encoder.php

 

[LeetPCUser]

Only people who really want it will steal it. No more nubs taking your stuff and posing it off as theirs. I would say get it or try it out.

 

[monaco]

Theives will just move on the next car...

I don't know about that...if a layout looks nice, ppl are gonna steal it. I've come across all sorts of stupid "protection" schemes ppl use, and none of them have beat a simple view source. Granted, I don't just copy layouts and use them (in the case of CSS its usually a "how the hell did he get it to do that..." kinda thing) but it's incredibly easy to do for someone so inclined. Nobody is gonna pass up your site because your source is harder to look at if they like the way it looks...it's more or less like deciding between a pinto with its doors unlocked and a viper with a club on it. It's not that someone needs a car, its that someone likes the viper

As long as the browser needs access to the CSS/html, a plagiarist will have an easy time with it.

 

[TeviH]

You're right - I guess it depends on what it is people want.

I had seen a script that prevented screen captures, though it wasn't exactly fool-proof... (amazon had it on their "search inside the book" pages)

But as far as code - bottom line, since it has to be parsed by your browser, it really can't be blocked completely, ever. Unless you can somehow pipe all your stuff through php so the output code is different from what you actually created... any ideas?

Here are ideas I've implemented sometimes. If you use all of them, it will make getting your content real annoying. (this is mostly for images, though, not code)

1. right-click disabled
2. chop up your images into annoying chunks (prevent image gallery theft)
3. disable screen-capture script (not 100% effective, but it's something)
4. and a cute source code protection idea I've seen - have a little message at the top of the code, before the code, saying "source code copyright..." and then skip like 100 lines before you have your code. It threw me off a couple times until I realized you can just scroll down... :hehe:
5. use flash
6. watermark your images
7. don't offer very high resolution of your images
8. prevent hot-linking by using .htaccess and php (the php can replace the hotlinked image with another image that can have your copyright message, and/or can redirect to a page with some text with copyright info)

Any other ideas? I'd love to hear other people's methods or tricks to protect code and content.

 

[stscac]

I did find that site that supposively sold software for $30 to fix this issue. Are they lying in the fact that it won't "properly" fix the problem? I am interested.

This stuff has to be read in the web browser, unencrypted. Chances are that if someone is smart enough, they will be able to tell the method that was used to encrypt the code, because between javascript and the web browser, it has to be able to decrypt it to be able to display it.

This stuff is going to happen. Maybe throw in some javascript as a div tag or get the URL from the browser and parse the URL to see if it is the right address.

There are many creative things that you can do. Have fun.

-Steve

 

[weblord]

this is just to delay otherwise it can also encrypt
U.S.$29.95
http://www.codelock.co.nz/purchase.htm

 

[Pandas]

Whenever theres an encryption program or compression program there is always something to decrypt and decompress it.

You can even get programs that will turn swf into .fla files again, and enable you to grab everything out of the swf. So whilst flash may seem a good option, someone who wants your design, files will get them either way.

I've learnt the hard way.

In my opinion just learn to deal with it and issue C&D's. Those programs are a waste of money.