Hiding code on a webpage

Is this possible?

[knotty]

Hi,
I was looking for a way to keep my webpages from being copied and the html code from being seen.

I've run into some sites that have this enabled and was wondering how they did it?

Thanks!
knotty

[topr8]

sorry not possible, there are ways to make it look like you can't copy the code, but only the most unsophisticated visitor will be foxed by them.

i'd say the best trick is to leave about 60 lines of blank code at the top of each page, this will fox the dimwits just as much as anything else.

[tedster]

Right you are, topr8.

The easiest way for anyone to convince themself of the futility of preventing people from copying their web materials, is to ask how a web page gets displayed on anyone's computer in the first place. The answer is that the server sends the user's computer a copy of the page. So if someone can see your site, then they MUST have a copy on their own hard drive already.

You can make it more of a technical challenge to save and reuse that copy, but you must make a copy on the client hard drive. Anyone savvy will be able to use that copy as they wish.

[knotty]

Thanks for the replies. I read a forum where someone copied a website, changed a few things around and put it back on the internet under another name. Just wanted to prevent something like this from happening to me.

Would putting it on a https:// server make any difference?

knotty

[DrDoc]

The best (and only) solution to hiding any form of content, and thus preventing it from being 'stolen', is to not make it publicly available.

Internet = publicly available
Leaving-it-locally-on-your-computer-or,-better-yet,-just-in-your-head = protected

:)

[wkitty42]

knotty,

i agree with DrDoc (and joshua)... sometimes the best way to play the game is to not play at all... the only recourse you have if your content does get taken like that is copyright laws and lawyers... ensure that you document your stuff as to when it was created and published... there's something known as "the poorman's copyright" where you mail your stuff to you via registered mail and never open it unless you're in court and need it as proof... just publishing it also gives you a copyright on it... don't forget about the "fair use" portion of the law, too...

in any case, if its really a major concern to you, you'll need to consult with a competent copyright lawyer in your area... IANAL and can only speak from past experiance and discussions...

[bruhaha]

there's something known as "the poorman's copyright" where you mail your stuff to you via registered mail and never open it unless you're in court and need it as proof...

Not recommended --the law doesn't work like that.

First, you actually have the copyright to something from the moment it is fixed in a tangible form (e.g., written on a piece of paper)

Further legal protection of your copyright is obtained by registering the work with the Library of Congress.

As for the so-called "poor man's copyright" --it is a myth. It has been presented in several court cases and proved virtually useless. And even if it were accepted as evidence that you created the work, it would not entitle you to damages or attorney's fees, as copyright registration does.

[g1smd]

Make sure you watermark your images. That is a good move. However, there is little you can do about textual content theft, except search Google for examples and complain to their hosting company and major search engines.

[keyplyr]

Just use HTML inside a PHP page. Most browsers will not display PHP.

There's a hosting company who builds template pages for their clients this way. These are newbe type clients that tend to remote link to other website's graphics and media files. I constantly find these bandwidth drains in my logs, but when I back-track to their page, it doesn't source (at least in IE.) I have to save the page to my machine and then open it - sure enough, there are the links to my files. This hosting company, btw, ignores my complaints, so I now block them.

Internet = publicly available
Leaving-it-locally-on-your-computer-or,-better-yet,-just-in-your-head = protected

ah, but there's always sodium pentathol!