How to make the browser not cache your work?

Any one have any good ideas in this area?

[deanril]

I have some work that Im doing in Flash, and its very attractive to my competitors. Ultimately I do have a few tricks up my sleeve so they cant get my work, even in the cache.

However the ultimate would be to stop the browser all together from caching my flash movies. I will have literally 100's of flash movies, and the work is priceless and attractive to thieves in my industry, because at some point all my competitiors will have to have this type of program with these images displayed in my flash movies, if they want to sell anything that is ;)

Any ideas would be TREMENDOUSLY Appreciated!

[Key_Master]

If it's an apache server, add this to your .htaccess file

<Files ~ "\.swf$">
Header append Cache-Control "no-cache, no-store, max-age=1, must-revalidate"
</Files>

[deanril]

Wow thanks, that was quick response. Unfortunatly using Windows 2000 Server, my site is a Coldfusion site.

Any suggestions for that?

Oh, in addition, I would only want to have that page that uses the flash to not be cached, I ofcourse for ranking and such would like to continue having the rest of the site operate normally with spiders and such.

[encyclo]

There is nothing you can do to protect your flash files. It's the way the web works - you download to view, so the file is available for your competitors to copy. They could just wget the SWF, they could rip the entire site, they could grab files from the search engine caches... The only real effects of disabling the cache will be to increase your bandwidth use and slow your site.

[deanril]

Well for the flash movies, Im using a top layer, of solid white, so when you check your cache it looks blank(slick IMO), also when you do any inputs the top layer gets exposed(to try and stop screen capture). I also will be encrypting the movies so the reverse swf to fla decompiliers will be defeated(in theroy).

But ultimately stoping them from being cached would be the best, if possible. Would make the whole plan more full proof.

If what Key_Master says works on Apache then maybe there is something I could do, Ive researched this a bit and came up empty, but maybe in here there is someone who has been successful....

[DanA]

I can confirm that using page Info, Media with Mozilla will save any swf file, that using no-cache headers will not prevent many users from getting the file from the cache (MSIE, Opera and many other browsers), that many offline browsers can grab the file and that swfrip (and many other swf utilities) will unencrypt, decompress and remove passwords easily.
Using a script with online checks within the flash file will prevent someone to steal the swf file and use it. Only honest people won't get your work...

[deanril]

Thanks for your input, yeah its a tough battle to keep your work "your work".

"Using a script with online checks within the flash file will prevent someone to steal the swf file and use it."

The program that Im building can be done many ways, we determined that for us flash was the way to go, others have javascript, and some other ways. So the main thing is the image itself, reguarless of how its presented.

Kewl program was copysafe but does not prevent cacheing and you have to install a plugin, its more for stoping screen capture, cause it really put the wammy on your computer while viewing the protected page.

[Key_Master]

Google Coldfusion nocache "http header". I think you'll find the info you need there.

I know nothing about Coldfusion (and more than I care to know about windows) but the technique is roughly same. :)

[DanA]

"no cache" headers can be sent by asp, jsp, php, Apache, IIS (...) but will only be obeyed by well behaved browsers on the client side.
You only have control on the server side as scripts and java can easily be disabled...

[deanril]

Thanks Key_Master and DanA. I used a program that can make Opera not work on a page, netscape and mozilla and IE should comply though...

That search is perfect, thanks alot! Lots of good info there, Ill post back with what I come up with!

[Frequent]

I agree that if someone really wants your file they will get it.

IMO you need to properly document and copyright work and then actually ENFORCE it with lawsuits.

Obviously this costs a LOT, but it is very effective for companies such a certain very well known US motorcycle manufacturer.

People with any sense are very wary of using anything to do with that company in a commercial fashion because they sue first and ask questions later.

Freq---

[tedster]

document and copyright work and then actually ENFORCE it with lawsuits

That's exactly right, IMO. Much energy spent on preventing theft tends to take you away from the positive work where you need to focus, and can often limit your ability to actually reach your audience. In today's climate of information overload, finding and reaching your audience is the big battle -- preventing the rip-off artist is a side skirmish.