Protecting Images

[Deb]

I am new to having a website and have been exploring several options for protecting images. I recently read about digimarc http://www.digimarc.com/watermark/  which is a way to track your image use across the web.  However this is out of my budget.  The mouse click blocks are not always effective.  

Does anyone have other solutions for this issue?

[jani]

I am new to having a website and have been exploring several options for protecting images. I recently read about digimarc http://www.digimarc.com/watermark/  which is a way to track your image use across the web.  However this is out of my budget.  The mouse click blocks are not always effective.

The mouse click blocks are always ineffective against someone who wants a copy of your image, since it's a solution that depends on web browser functionality.

In brief, if you put your image on the web, it's impossible to stop it from spreading. You must rely on the conscience of the viewer.

Does anyone have other solutions for this issue?

See this Wikipedia article on digital watermarking, there is some more information on what it's about, and a few product links as well.

[michael]

What is there to worry about?

Assume for the moment that you put up a large image (for the web that is). It would be 800 pixel across. On many people's screens that's 7-10 inches wide.

Anyone can download it, but what do they then have? 800 pixels on longest dimension is less than 3" at offset print resolution.

In other words, people can "rip-you-off" but there is no commercial use for an image that small. If you're into screen-saver sales, then it's another matter.  

Michael

[DiaAzul]

In addition to Michael's comment, two other strategies you may further employ:

1/ make your web images medium to high compression for JPEGs. Has the added advantage that your website will appear much quicker at the clients computer.

2/If you really want to make life difficult for people, cut the images up into squares and load them into a table with no margins. If someone wants to use your image they will then need to re-assemble the image by merging all the squares.

You won't stop someone who really wants to steal your pictures (just like you can't stop someone breaking into your home or taking your car) but the idea is to make it easier to steal someone elses property rather than yours, thus deflecting unwanted criminal attention elsewhere.

[Steve West]

See this Wikipedia article on digital watermarking, there is some more information on what it's about, and a few product links as well.
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Excellent link!  Following the link put me onto another link in the article about Dr. Who pics being marked.  That link put me onto another which explained how the Dr Who series has come back and will start on Sci Fi in a few months!!! Most excellent news!

Steve W

[alainbriot]

Personally, I assume that publishing on the web implies the possiblity that someone "rips off" your images.  However, as Michael points out, at web resolutions, they are definitly not going to make 40x50 fine art prints!  

I personally add my name to each photograph that I publish.  I started this approach last year.  Certainly, people can clone over my photograph to erase my name.  But, such people will not be bothered by any form of copyright protection whatsoever, so, as I said, you have to accept this as a risk of publishing on the web.

People can also scan and reprint photographs published in books & magazines.  There's no absolute protection when it comes to publishing.

ALain

[luong]

Assume for the moment that you put up a large image (for the web that is). It would be 800 pixel across. On many people's screens that's 7-10 inches wide.

In other words, people can "rip-you-off" but there is no commercial use for an image that small. If you're into screen-saver sales, then it's another matter.  

Michael
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The image could be used commercially on the web, or on TV. Web advertising can command pretty large fees, not to mention TV. Even in print, quite a few image uses are pretty small. It is not uncommon for me to obtain several hundred dollars in licensing fees for images used in print at postage stamp size.

The main reason not to worry is that copyright infringers are not people who are going to license from you, at least for any decent fee. So you don't really lose any business to them, and if you happen to catch them, you may get a nice windfall.

Tuan.

[situgrrl]

Back when I got my first computer, I spent my life "ripping off" images from the net to stick on school files and the like.  Web compressed jpgs are barely suitable for this - and you'd hardly deny school kids the right to pretty file would you?!

If you want to talk about ripping off photographers try picking on Adobe Stock Photos.

[61Dynamic]

That javascript stuff is crap. Half the time it doesn't work and it can be bypassed on any system by just dragging the image out of the browser and onto your desktop. It does more to frustrate your viewers (there are many useful functions that can be found in the right-click menu) than it does to deter theft.

If you want to stop the dragging thing then you can use CSS to set the image as a background element and stretch a 1x1 pixel transparent gif over the image. When the drag, they'll get the gif.

That won't stop them from getting you image fully though as they can still go into the temp directory and get it there or get the image by viewing your source code.


As mentioned before, just don't give them a full-resolution image. A level 5-6 compressed image at a reasonable size is all that really can be done aside from not showing your stuff online.

Oh, and if you are in America make sure you put that © logo on there to give yourself additional legal protection. This way the thief can't claim they didn't know it was copyrighted and get off easy. The need for that varies from country to county so look it up for your country.