How can I keep my web site code from being copied?

[OtherBigE]

I'd like to know how I can keep my web site code from being copied. I'm using Dreamweaver MX on Mac OS 10.2.

 

[sleipnir214]

What do you mean by "web site code"? And from whom are you trying to keep it from being copied?

HTML, for example, by its nature cannot be protected.

Want the best answers? Ask the best questions:

http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

TANSTAAFL!!

 

[OtherBigE]

I have been to other sites where when viewing the source it was dimmed so that you could view it, but not copy it. You couldn't even print it.

 

[sleipnir214]

What URL?

Want the best answers? Ask the best questions:

http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

TANSTAAFL!!

 

[OtherBigE]

Well, I can't remember where the site is I'm talking about, but here's one where you can't even view to code.

http://www.outdoorsuperstore.com/

That might even be better. You see, I have an online store as well, and I'm not comfortable with people looking at my code.

 

[sleipnir214]

I don't understand. I'm looking at the source of the page right now.

Want the best answers? Ask the best questions:

http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

TANSTAAFL!!

 

[sleipnir214]

I've seen some sites which attempt to play games with client-side VBScript to keep people from viewing HTML code.

But in every case, if you point a non-client-side-VBScript-supporting web browser, such as Mozilla, Opera, etc., or a telnet client at the problem, you can get the source.

Want the best answers? Ask the best questions:

http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

TANSTAAFL!!

 

[sleipnir214]

The site you've given as an example, however, doesn't even play the VBScript games. I pointed my browser at the site and viewed the source.

Want the best answers? Ask the best questions:

http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

TANSTAAFL!!

 

[OtherBigE]

Wow, I'm looking at it now too. I promise you, it was dimmed earlier. Hmmm, could it have been because I didn't let it load completely? So, that was a bad example, sorry. I'll keep looking for that site I was talking about earlier. When I find it, I'll post the URL. I hope I'm not loosing my mind!

 

[sleipnir214]

Like I said, if the site is HTML, you can't protect it.

I suppose that if your page is nothing more than a reference to a Java applet that itself downloads and displays the page, you could probably do it. But make sure that the applet and the server are communicating by a secure channel, and make sure the encryption key can't be stripped out of your applet.

Want the best answers? Ask the best questions:

http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

TANSTAAFL!!

 

[OtherBigE]

Okay, thanks for taking the time to explain this to me. I just won't be able to do what I was hoping I could do.

 

[khanza]

html is impossible to block people from copying.... However, the java applet would work or if you did your whole site in flash MOST people would have trouble getting it.

-=Alex=-

 

[OtherBigE]

Hey, thanks Alex. I'll look into which of the two is for me.

 

[byam]

Keeping in mind that there are decompilers available that can decompile java class or Flash files. So people can always get your source code from Applet or Flash file if they really wanted to. You can only make it harder, but you cannot 100% stop people from getting your souce on a web page.

 

[Marcs41]

That is not entirely correct byam.
Thake this server for instance, running on ColdFusion.
The source you see is a generated HTML, not the real one.
Anyone copying that source will bring him/her nothing as the functionality is serverbased.

Marc
[sub]If 'something' 'somewhere' gives 'some' error, expect random guesses or no replies at all. Please specify details.
Free Tip: The F1 Key does NOT destroy your PC![/sub]

 

[byam]

Sorry for the confusion. Of course server code is not accessable to site visitor, what I meant is any client side source code, i.e. Applet, Flash, HTML, are fully expose to visitor.

 

[bluedragon2]

Creating your pages from a perl script is also a good way. People can see the html format, but not how it was created...



Blue

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