Comments

TheHappyFriar wrote on 2/20/2006, 8:09 PM
i know it can be done with java script. I don't know how, but since I'm on a dialup I like to download large files instead of view them in browser. Some sights disable right clicking via java script. I've even seen some that just won't give you the "open/save" options with right clicking on media.

you're right it still can be copied though... my dad wanted a video in RealMedia on his computer on DVD (some music video for a project or somthing). He ended up hooking the PC up to the VCR & hitting record on the VCR. worked like a charm. :)
kdm wrote on 2/20/2006, 8:23 PM
Embedded Quicktime can be set to prevent copy/download (i.e. turning off the right click save as options). I like to use Flash for embedded media, and particularly for protecting media.
rmack350 wrote on 2/20/2006, 10:27 PM
I have just hunted down the cached file in the IE and firefox cache folders. even if you can't save the file from the browser it still usually ends up in the cache.

Rob Mack
FrigidNDEditing wrote on 2/21/2006, 1:12 AM
In firefox - you can just right click and view page info and then look under the media tab and usually save a file that way too. I guess the best way would be to flash encode it.

Any other possible suggestions?

Dave
Chienworks wrote on 2/21/2006, 3:43 AM
It's a fools dream.

If someone can see your content on their screen, they can save it to their drive. It's the same as if someone can watch your DVD on their player, they can copy it. There is no way to prevent the end user from saving/copying your material*.

The important thing to remember is that people may not be using a browser or Windows Media Player / Quicktime / Flash to view your site. There are a multitude of web content access programs that do not respect any copy protection. Even the common programs have to download the file to the local computer in order to play it, and it's trivially easy to intercept that download and save it permanently. Heck, it's easy to bypass JavaScript protection by turning JavaScript off.

So, once your content is available online, you must expect that people are going to do whatever they want with it. To think otherwise is to ignore reality.

*Well, there is one way. Don't put your content online.
FrigidNDEditing wrote on 2/21/2006, 9:48 AM
It's more a speaker that I'm working with's content - i'm looking into a job wherein I'll be taping a speaker who will taylor content to the clients dillemas - say, you come with a problem, he'll say - give me x number of days/weeks and I can come and speak on this topic to your group. However he doesn't have much of anything in the way of video content that's been recorded, so this may be my first ever audio only deal I do. Then in the future we're looking at going out to record at some speaking venues that he will have and put together contect packages that will be useable on general topics as well as be used to promote his topic specific work, in a video promotion.

anyway the need to "copy protect" is just to keep the average joe from easily saving entire speaches if he decides to host them, and I would guess that Flash would do that fine.

Dave
johnmeyer wrote on 2/21/2006, 11:35 AM
This question has been asked a bunch of times, and there are some really long threads that should give you lots of ideas. Here's one of them that relates to protecting WMV files, but relates to your question:

Proecting WMV Content

[Edit] You might also contact the owner of this site:

Digital FAQ

He's got all his content "locked down" pretty tight.


p@mast3rs wrote on 2/21/2006, 12:40 PM
"He's got all his content "locked down" pretty tight."

So much for tight. Using MetaProducts Offline Explorer, I downloaded his entire site bit for bit in about 2 minutes.

Point is, if it can be viewed, it can be saved regardless of what the author wants.
johnmeyer wrote on 2/21/2006, 12:57 PM
Point is, if it can be viewed, it can be saved regardless of what the author wants.

Exactly so. I agree.

However, unlike DVD copying, where the programs that everyone uses have the copy-defeating mechanisms built-in, Windows Explorer, Firefox, etc., don't include the copy-defeating features contained in the program you used to download his site. The majority of web surfers don't have your tools or anything comparable, unlike the situation with DVD copying.

Therefore, unlike DVD copying (where copy-protection is a pointless exercise, given that even the casual copier is going to be able to break it), I think you can get a fair amount of protection against the "right-click and save" crowd, simply by doing the things that "LordSmurf" did at DigitalFAQ.com.
p@mast3rs wrote on 2/21/2006, 1:03 PM
Very much agreed. I will say Im impressed with pretty much his disabling of right click save. Not a bad implementation at all. Still have a problem with video ending up in browser cache. :)

johnmeyer wrote on 2/21/2006, 1:12 PM
Still have a problem with video ending up in browser cache. :)

Yeah, I've used that "trick" a few times myself.