Protecting Flash Projects

[testt]

I have a really good flash project I want to publish on the web, but I know it can be saved and convert back to a .fla/ something someone else can work with and alter for their own. I wanted to know if anybody knows a way of protecting flash work on the web, but still allowing the public to visit/view it?

-icebug

 

[rgstewart]

There are a few things you can do to make it a little more difficult to swipe your SWF, but in the end you have to remember that if someone wants it, they're going to find a way to get it. If I were you I wouldn't get too paranoid about protecting it.

Three of the easiest things to do are enable "protect from import", domain checks and personal security sequences.

"Protect from import" is probably the easiest, and gets rid of those who don't know what they're doing. It stops your SWF being opened in editing mode in Flash. To enable it, publish the SWF and check the option for "Protect from import" when it pops up.

Domain checks involve gettting the SWF to check the URL under which it is currently running, and compare it to the URL it SHOULD be playing at (i.e. your site). If the two don't match, the movie stops at a frame saying "Come and see this movie at

http://www.mysite.com",

so that you still get the traffic.

The security sequence was something that a couple of us thought up a while ago ... it won't stop anyone stealing your SWF, but it will prove that you created it, making it a tidy case of suing for breach of copyright. All you need to do is make a movieClip which accepts a sequence of keystrokes to display a message about your ownership. Both the sequence and the ownership notice can be stored in a TXT file which does NOT need to be put on the server. By running the SWF locally with the TXT file, the keystroke sequence can be activated, and the message displayed.

Even this isn't foolproof ... if someone figures out what the seemingly useless MC is for they may recode it to show their own copyright notice, but I'm sure someone else on the boards would have a way of tightening this method up slightly.

 

[Guest_imported]

Could you please explain the exact method of doing this. This sounds interesting. What do I out in the action script file to make this happen. What is necessary in the TXT file? An exact example published somewhere would be very helpful.

 

[rgstewart]

Send me an email, supergonzo, and I'll try to explain the process (I might even make a FLA for you if I get the time).

rgstewart@hotmail.com

Just make sure you put "Flash Help" in the subject line ... my Hotmail account junks anything not sent from a member of my address book, and I need to be able to see your email quickly in the Junk Folder.

 

[testt]

Thanks for the help.
I also heard something about getting .swf not to cache when the site is visited. I know that's a popular thing,,, to go in your temperary files and take it out.
The other idea I heard about is creating a top extra layer, although I didn't understand how and why.
There has been talk about setting up an active server page and running it from there so they can't get at it.

Comments, explanations,ect would be nice on these things.
I'm not sure about how to get flash to check if the site it's running from is correct, since I am novice on this part. You type it up in ActionScript, with if statements? Yes I'm blond.
Thanks for the input,
sari

 

[Guest_imported]

How do you enable domain checks?

 

[oldnewbie]

http://www.flashkit.com/tutorials/Actionscripting/Basic/Easy_to_-Tiran_Da-674/index.shtml

Regards,