[Javascript] Making images safe from downloading

[Peter-Paul Koch]

>I am developing a portfolio site for a photographer. He is anxious that his 
>images don't get downloaded and used without his permission.

Then the images shouldn't be posted on the WWW. There's no fail safe way to 
prevent the downloading. (In fact, as soon as you see the image in your 
browser it is already downloaded).

>I was thinking I could just put a blank layer over the image to deter
>dragging or clicking on the image. However, we all know that the determined 
>person will just find out the source of the image and type the address in 
>to get the image.

Correct.

>Another idea I had was placing images using SSI. Would something like that 
>work and deter someone from getting the image source?

No. SSI works on the server and adds some HTML code to the page, which is 
then sent to the browser, so the code is in the source and can be viewed.

>Even so the image has to show up in order for there to be a portfolio. 
>Nothing would prevent a screen capture. Or would there?

Nope. I can only offer you my image protection script, which is more like a 
polite reminder than a fail-safe way to prevent copying (although it will 
stop the newbies, of course):
http://www.xs4all.nl/~ppk/js/index.html?improt.html

BTW: I use this script on the World Press Photo site and they're content 
with it, knowing that there's hardly a better solution to this problem.

Watermarking can also help, of course.

ppk

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