Securing online content and images

[Hippy]

Securing online content and images can it be done ?

The Internet is a great visual tool for displaying artwork and photos. However, because the source code for Web pages is easily accessible, there is no tried and true method to completely secure your copyright-protected work on the Internet,
other than not posting them,
any more than you can prohibit people from photocopying text in a book.
I've seen a variety of ways that people have used to block stealing of photos and artwork that are posted in Web pages.
One way is to disable the right-click,
another is to replace the good image with a bogus image on mouseover.
Both of these ways, at best, slow a visitor down.
Let me explain why each of these do not provide a good level of security for your online content and images.
Disabling right click I've seen many requests from people for script that disables the right-click on their Web pages.
Very often, someone has seen this on another Web site and thought it was a good idea for securing their own artwork or photos.
However, although a visitor doesn't have access to the right click for the page displayed, they generally do have access to the menu bar, and on the View menu, there is a Source option that allows people to open up the source code in a text editor, such as Notepad.
You may think that the source code isn't going to help them much, but it does. For example, say the following HTML code is in one of your pages, and this displays a photo that you took and are selling on your Web site.
<.img src="awardwinningphoto.jpg".>Viewing the source gives the visitor the name of the image file, and the path to the Web page gives the visitor the rest. So, say for example the path to the page where the above HTML occurs is "http://www.cohowinery.com/html/awardwinningphoto..htmAll someone needs to do is open up the file "http://www.cohowinery.com/html/awardwinningphoto.jpg in the browser, and once they view it in the browser, they can right-click on it and choose Save Picture As. Replace Image on Mouseover Another trick that Web designers and developers use to prohibit stealing of artwork and photos is to replace one image with another image when the visitor mouses over it. This also would seem to be great for securing online images. After all, if they can't right-click on the image and choose Save Picture As, they can't steal the image, right? However, as with the right-click, the best this does is slow them down. If someone really wants to steal an image, they can easily view the source and get the filename and path to the image, and do what I described above.
Then how can I secure my images?

Many Web designers and developer would answer that question by saying to not post the images, but if you make your living out of selling your photos or paintings, this may not be an option for you, so there are a few things that you can do.

Post lower quality graphics.

When someone tries to steal an image, they won't get a great quality picture, just a representation of what the image looks like. If they attempt to enlarge it, the quality will be poor enough to discourage even the most determined. Use a digital copyright. A digital copyright acts as a digital signature, and as with digital signatures, you need to purchase a digital copyright and use a graphics application to add it to your images. I'm no expert on this, so I won't even attempt to explain how it works or how to do it. Take a look at resources on line from experts if you're interested in using a digital copyright for your online content and images. If I understand this correctly, a digital copyright doesn't print but provides a legally binding way for you to recover loses if someone appropriates your intellectual property. Use a watermark on the image. A watermark is a usually text overlayed on top of an image, perhaps a copyright symbol, your name and the date. It will certainly discourage people from taking images, but it can also disfigure an image to the point where it may not be distinguishable. This option is my least favorite of the three. Why? If I want to print out a picture to see if it goes with my favorite bedspread or the couch in the den, the watermark disfigures the image to the point where printing it will not give me a good idea of whether the picture will work for me or not, making me far less likely to buy the finished product because I don't know if it's exactly right for what I want.While the information age does bring new problems and opportunities for people to cause harm, as you decide what is best for displaying your artwork, photos, and other online content, keep in mind that most who come to your site are just there to browse and perhaps shop and buy. Consider how you want people to use your site and provide needed security without inhibiting how visitors will use your site.

[Hippy]

Thank you for you input ,Every thing you say is TRUE...But there is many places now that give a person a code and codes blank codes and if some one takes codes from many different places and arang them in there own wayThem yes they can say it is some thing they made ...Here Is like many others sites ...We all do not wright the codes we just put them togeather the way we wont them to look...When a person does this ,THEY can say they made the Theme!!!Now if a person is asked if they wrote the codes and say yes then it is a lie...Here and this is for every one HERE ,This site is for sharing what ever you have to share,For those who can not or do not have time to learn how to make them for there selfs!!!Here the question of who wrights the codes has No Meaning.And the THANK YOU to the code that is used ,Is only to Thank that person for comming up with that Arangment of that look ,for others to use how ever they Wont...Now If any one has a problem with the out look on the way this SITE Shares ,Please feel free to leave this site ,and no one will think Ill of you for backing out......Managment/HIPPYS THEMES...

[Keltic Fae]

Hi Hippy ~~ I enjoy making themes. I go to free sites for images, graphics, clip-art, etc.
Life is too short for me to be worrying about someone claiming my work as theirs. I wouldn't like it but its their bad karma. I got it for free and will let it remain free. Sometimes I will put my name in a theme, very small, if its a favorite. I don't use anyone else's themes because I like to see my creations on my pages. There are many, many themes here much better than mine, its just that I am here to create.
I agree with Hummer's reply.
Blessings

[Hippy]

Thankyou for your reply to this.......Hippy....

[Firstlove]

Hmmmm this can be a hairy one...

For myself and my themes, I don't consider being under the (Copyright) banner, but my theme's come under the Common Rights & Collective Rights.

There are a few points that should be pointed out for © (copyrights).
Work that was created or published before January 1, 1923 dose not come under copyright, so no one can put a copyright on it. Open source material dose not come under copyright, so the same applies. So if you have taken an image from a "free" site and used it in your work, you can not put a copy right on it.
Copyright comes into existence automatically under the Copyright Act 1994, when a work is put into material form e.g. manuscript, audio/video recording. When you are using original material.
Copyright in literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works continues for 50 years after the end of the calendar year in which the author died.

Most theme's I have seen, have content from a third party providing free imagery.

Now as I said, I prefer to think of myself as coming under the Common Rights & Collective Rights. You can use CC to change your copyright terms from "All Rights Reserved" to "Some Rights Reserved."
The parts that I put together, not the free imagery, comes under CC rights.

It is really hard to stop anyone from claiming your work as their own and lets face it, who is really going to try and pursue a Ning theme copyright being broken?

The thing that gets me is that "some" designers (though not seen any on this site) jump and down saying that so-an-so copied their work, when in reality all so-an-so did was get the exact same image from the exact same "free" imagery site.
That is NOT copying someone else work. Only if it it exactly the same in every detail is it copying or claiming someone else's work.

As for my own work, I don't care if someone else takes the code and changes things or copy's things, infact, I have had creators tell me that they have down this and that's fine.
Nearly all of my themes will have some animation that I have created myself, so I know that they are original. The original image that I have animated is not my original, but the animated version of it is.

I have had people claiming that my work is theirs, but there is nothing I can do about it so why worry about it? Yes, there is time and effort involved in making these themes, but its time and effort that I enjoy, I only do it for relaxation, so everyone gets what they want.

[Sheri~]

Well*
Now I am going to put my two cents worth in**
My goodness, this is Ning.. how does anyone think that what others do with Graphics /Layout's or anything else could possibly believe it is
" Unethical "....?

The one and Only Way that anyone could make this claim is if there work including the " Entire : Layout/Graphic... has been Orginal.

Gee kinda doubt if there are too many people who " Start From Scratch"

So unless people are making $$$$$$$$$$ off of someones work..

Please stop complaining about what is basically considered
" The Norm "..

Now anyone who reads this can get upset, pissed off or just delete me.

You choose and my opinion.

Be grateful I have keep this short.....

Sheri~

[Hippy]

Thank you FirstLove ,for your reply to this.......Hippy....

[Hippy]

Thankyou Shari~ for your reply to this.......Hippy....

[Hippy]

Thank you Saralonde, for your reply to this.......Hippy....

[Debi wildflower]

Hmmmmm ......... Rhonda exactly what are you referring to..The Graphics or the Layouts? Who's to know where the Graphics come from in all due reality for the web is a very big place with many various portals. If a person does not want their work to be copied or used then they better not post it on the web... bottom line! Hell if people can hack into a government computer system what makes you think they don't know how to steal on-line.... and how are innocent people to know what graphic belongs to who??????? I see alot of wonderful work on-line but the artists ruins his or her own work by their insecure ego by scribling their name acrossed it. To me that shows their ego Big as day, their need to be noticed while ruining their work (SAD)!!! People remove that crap only because they do sincerely admire the creators work but not the scribling on it! Another point how is anyone to believe a person who makes such claims about...thats my work??? I see alot of Ego's that run rampant on the net and all I can say is .. think about the possible outcomes before you post. Get yourself a store and do not deal in cyberspace until you can be secure in whatever it is you do.
I'm not saying its right to steal NO its diffinitely wrong and whats worse then that.. are those who did not make the graphics whether they are free or otherwise and SELL THEM!!! NOW THERES A SOLID CASE TO FUSS ABOUT! I make layouts when I use linkware from another format I always state so and so made the graphics but and thats a BIG BUT ...I MADE THE LAYOUT for it is in a different format with different codes! All my layouts are free to scramble, add, take away from, I don't care. I do not put my name on anything! I do not feel the need for recognition. However that is me ;-) I guess I'll never be rich in material substances but I'm very rich in spirit. Have a Nice Day!

[Marie Bolt]

AMEN

[Hippy]

Thank you Hummer for I think you under stand what I have tryed to say ...about sharing in this site ...As I have put it on the main page in my rouls,for sharing here ...You are to share what ever you wont That you do not mind how others used it ...and the only reconation that we would get back was a simple THANK YOU to the maker of the theme used ...To show how they are great full ,for there hard work in making the theme look the way it looks when posted...and again no one can make any of the members post that THANK YOU to a theme uesd this is where your Ethics come in at ...Just look at the member count ,we have lots of people comming and useing our themes ,but it is still up to them to do what they agreed to,and leave the Simple THANK YOU to any theme they use.......Hippy....

[Marie Bolt]

BUT THEY DO NOT DO THEY GET PISST OFF ..