copyright pics

[monoboard]

Hi folks

Can anybody tell me how to put pictures on a website so that people can't copy them.

many thanks

David

[Ian]

Re: copyright pics

The bottom line, it's pretty much impossible. If you can see the picture, it can be copied - you can simply do a screen copy and then edit accordingly. On our website galleries we employ one simple method for blocking casual image theft, we block the use of the menu that lets you use the copy command (on Windows, that's right+click).

Ian

[Zuiko]

Re: copyright pics

You can deter theft by watermarking your images, although that spoils the veiwing experiance on forums such as this. Or you can post very small low res images that won't be much use to anyone wanting to use them commercially.

Other than that, unathorized use from a website is a fact of life and a risk you take if you want to display your pictures online.

Have you become aware of any particular incident that causes you concern?

[shenstone]

Re: copyright pics

I agree that there is little you can do to get around the determined thief and exif/watermarks are as good as you can do to stamp your ownership on things

I also agree that a flash based viewer (see simpleviewer used on my website if you want an example) that allows easy configuration to remove the RH mouse which is a sensble 1st step. I went for the pro version which remvoed the link from my pages - if you need it it's here http://simpleviewer.net/simpleviewer/

In the end though an awful lot of sites and uses don't have this protection (for instance this forum where you see us taking copies of each others pictures and reposting edits ) so you just have to decide whether you want to do it

Regards
Andy

[monoboard]

Re: copyright pics

Hi John

Its just a ski website that wants to use my pics which i don't mind but i don't really want other people copying them.

reg

David

[shenstone]

Re: copyright pics

In that case there is little more you can do than add a visible name not too close to the corner (or it could be cropped out easily) and add a lot of EXIF information with your name

I use the obsolete programe EXIFER http://www.exifer.friedemann.info/ for that as it's simple to use and just does the job without being a viewer or cataloguing software ( I like this developer use Imatch for that)

Regards
Andy

[boblad]

Re: copyright pics

Hi All
Thanks Andy for the link to simpleviewer it could be the answer for me as well.
I'm sure Ian is right it's pretty much impossible to prevent an image being copied.
Having been on the wrong end I know how it would make you feel!. I was at the local Sunday market a few years ago near Christmas and saw for sale sets of Christmas cards Nicki had done the year before and she was still being paid royalties on, not nice when it's possibly taking some of your income away.
At the time I was working on a website to display her artwork along with a description on how it was produced to possibly help other artists ,by the way she's a lot better illustrator than I am a photographer! but after seeing these cards for sale I dropped the idea like a hot brick, if someone is going to sell prints of her work it's going to be me!. So simpleviewer plus well placed watermarks could be the answer I'm after so I'll now think about a website again.
The things I learn on this site are never ending.
Thanks to you all
Bob

[Ian]

Re: copyright pics

Lightroom 3, which I recall you probably use, has a very good watermark facility.

Ian

[monoboard]

Re: copyright pics

Thanks every body for your replies

David