Disallow image downloads

[Chuckhriczko]

I have a client who needs his photographs shown on his website but at the same time he cannot allow people to download the image. I have two thoughts.

A) Is it possible to disallow downloading of the images yet still allow them to show if a viewer wants to see them? (I assume image streaming would be the way to do that)

or preferably

B) Allow them to download the picture but if the picture is downloaded it shows a watermark. He doesnt want his viewers to see the watermark unless it is downloaded. This way it doesnt interfere with his photography.

Thanks for any help.

Chuck

[bnashenas1984]

This issue have been discussed before. There are some ways to restrict access to images by serving them via PHP GD or HEADER but I don't think there is any way to protect them from beeing downloaded.
You can even disable right click on your web pages but even so visitors can be able to capture images using (print screen) key
You can press (Print screen) key to save a snapshot of your screen and then use (SHIFT + INSERT) or (CTRL + V) to past it into any photo editor like Paint Brush.

Good luck

[pbmods]

Heya, Chuck.

The stateless nature of HTTP means that you have no idea for what purpose the browser is requesting the image.

Your best bet would be to only display reduced-resolution images (i.e., not suitable for print/reproduction).

One solution is to check the HTTP referrer of the request and refuse to show the image unless the request came from a page on your site. This would prevent direct downloads and keep people from putting the image on their own sites (they would have to link to the page on your website that shows the image).

Until someone figures out how to implement DRM for images (!!!), you can't prevent it 100% because you have to send the un-watermarked data to the User's computer for the User to be able to see it.

[asedt]

Is it possible to disallow downloading of the images yet still allow them to show if a viewer wants to see them? (I assume image streaming would be the way to do that)

NO

Browsers need to download the image to view it. While PrtSc is one easy way many users can use to take what they se (anything they se), the image is also stored as a temp localy somewhere (RAM/HD).

And one important point is that if you try to make so the user have less access to the image you just make you page more inaccessible witch is a bad thing.

By example, you can make a flash page then the user cant right klick and download the image, but the you force the user to use flash for no good reason. So keep it simple and good.