There is software out there that allows people to provide a URL and download ALL the file's from the site (Html, images, etc..). My question is, Is there a way to prevent people from doing this?

I know that you can encrypt html pages, is that the only way, and how safe are these products. I wouldn't want to encrypt my site and then have people that can't gain access. Does anyone know of any good products??

Thanks!!!!

uhm.. to tell the truth it's a bit like trying to stop someone photocopying a magazine...

You publish something and they only have access to the finished product. Some things can be protected to a certain degree but as we've seen with some unscrupulous hosts that doesn't mean you'll ever be even 80% safe.

To be honest the only thing you can really do to curb unwanted copying is to keep a watch out for copies... (people tend to report a lot of them here), put in tracer tags so that the dumber thieves will virtually tell you where they are when the "borrowed" page calls home to grab an image.

It ain't fair, it ain't polite but it happens and there's little you can do about it... except warn anyone you catch, request sites be closed for copyright infringement by their hosts, etc... Threaten legal action, etc...


Anyone else?

Thanks for the info. Please forgive me, but what is a tracer tag and how does one put one in.

Thanks again!!!!!

One trick we've found useful but only works in Dreamweaver or similar programs is:

Keep all of your images ans content other than the html pages in separate folders then keep them all in one folder that you change the name of periodically. That way the program will update automatically with no work needed on your part but the path changes to the images so if someone is using them they get nothing after the name change.

Originally posted by Newtothis
Thanks for the info. Please forgive me, but what is a tracer tag and how does one put one in.

Thanks again!!!!! Sorry, it sounds more complicated than it is...

All you need to do is put an IMG tag into the code somewhere that requests a transparent tiny image file on each of your pages Using the FULL URL eg: "http://www.mysite/image.gif". Something that's of no size, consequence, etc.. and won't be noticed unless someone really digs into the code. Lazy thieves may not even notice it's there and leave the img code in, full URL and all...

That way it will still request the image (or logging script) each time the page is loaded on the thieves site.. and because it's still using the full URL it's getting logged in your HTTP server log so you can see where the image is being requested from.

Occassional checks of your logs will then show anyone who has stolen the design.


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Another way to track possible infraction is by running searches using Google or some other Search engines to search for a particular phrase that's in your pages (that's just meaty to be left unchanged) and see if it turns up any hits on other sites. You'd be surprised.

Hope that helps
;)

Can you also run your content through a CGI program so that the true URL isn't shown?

that might just work. im ognna try modding an antileech script :-D

Another way is to use a 'hidden' image, like a 1x1 transparent GIF file, linked with absolute URL, possibly generated by Javascript. This way it is even harder for the thieves, he will probably miss the obscure GIF file. Keep your eyes on log files, you'll easily spot the thief.

Another alternative files to consider: alternative css file, javascript files.

I'm not sure how these programs work, but if they work the way I suspect they do (ie download one page then request everyting on it separatly, as opposed to 'clicking through while saving what it accesses) - adding a few lines to your .htaccess file should work.

I would only use it for graphics althouhg it can also be used for any other extensions. Here is a link to explain how to do it. It is mainly used to prevent peolpe from hotlinking your images:

http://wsabstract.com/howto/htaccess10.shtml

Originally posted by Mester
http://wsabstract.com/howto/htaccess10.shtml

Thank you!

I was considering ArtistScope (http://www.artistscope.net/) but now I think going through the htaccess is all I need to do for my portfolio and personal sites.

(ack! frantically sending e-mails to potential webhosts to see if the support mod_rewrite)

I think it's much more amusing if you let them think they got away with it, then swap the image on your server for something a bit left-field :)

I've heard some pretty funny stories about unscupulous thieves suddenly finding pretty objectionable or embarrassing material all over their website :D

Originally posted by priyadi
Another way is to use a 'hidden' image, like a 1x1 transparent GIF file, linked with absolute URL, possibly generated by Javascript. This way it is even harder for the thieves, he will probably miss the obscure GIF file. Keep your eyes on log files, you'll easily spot the thief.

Another alternative files to consider: alternative css file, javascript files. Isn't this what I suggested already?

Well at least it's more concise than my description :)

Originally posted by HostIt
I think it's much more amusing if you let them think they got away with it, then swap the image on your server for something a bit left-field Seems like this thread has drifted into talking about two different things. This approach could be used in answer to someone hotlinking to the images on your site, but that isn't what Newtothis was talking about in the original post: There is software out there that allows people to provide a URL and download ALL the file's from the site (Html, images, etc..). My question is, Is there a way to prevent people from doing this? If someone downloads all the files from your site and duplicates that site or part of it on their own, swapping the images on your server after the fact isn't going to help.

Mester's suggestion is interesting, but I'm not sure which approach those programs take either. I do use one to download, with permission, a copy of optimization client sites in cases where we don't work directly with their site using ftp... so if anyone wants to try this rewrite approach I'd be happy to test it and see if it actually worked.