View Full Version : Competitors pinching images our site
little-linguist
27-10-2007, 13:38
Hello,
Just wondering if anyone else has experienced problems with their competitors "pinching" images from their site and if so, what have you done about it?
I spend a lot of time creating images and get really annoyed when I find them on someone else's site!
The first time it happened, I wrote a formal letter to the company involved and they apologised and removed said images.
Now it's happened again with another company and it's a bit more awkward this time as I personally know the site owner through exhibitions I attend etc.! What's funny is the images being used haven't even been renamed so they have exactly the same file names as ours and they've got our logo watermarked on them too. So there is no doubt about they're ours!
Grrrrrr!!!
Unfortunately, there's no absolute way of preventing image copying. However, you can discourage this by disabling the "right-click" function of the mouse on your site via JavaScript. As this can be a little restrictive, it's best to disable right-clicking on images only.
The following JavaScript example can be put in the Head Section field of your template (or it can be saved in a ".js" file and linked instead):
<script type="text/javascript">
var clickmessage = "Our images are protected";
function disableclick(e)
{
if (document.all)
{
if (event.button == 2 || event.button == 3)
{
if (event.srcElement.tagName == "IMG")
{
alert(clickmessage);
return false;
}
}
}
else if (document.layers)
{
if (e.which == 3)
{
alert(clickmessage);
return false;
}
}
else if (document.getElementById)
{
if (e.which == 3 && e.target.tagName == "IMG")
{
alert(clickmessage);
return false;
}
}
}
function associateimages()
{
for (i = 0; i < document.images.length; i++)
document.images[i].onmousedown = disableclick;
}
if (document.all)
document.onmousedown = disableclick;
else if (document.getElementById)
document.onmouseup=disableclick;
else if (document.layers)
associateimages();
</script>
If you were to put this in a separate file, let's say "disable.js", and upload it to your User directory (your root webspace), you would use the following instead:
<script type="text/javascript" src="/user/disable.js"></script>
If you save the first code example in a ".js" file, you should remove the <script></script> tags as they will not be needed. They are only required to surround the code if you're putting it directly into the <head></head> section (as opposed to linking from a file).
It won't stop a determined thief, but it's a step in the right direction! :cool:
little-linguist
28-10-2007, 08:04
Thanks for the code Rich. Like you said, it won't stop the problem completely, but is certainly going to help scare off the less clued-up thief.
TeamTorquesteer
31-10-2007, 10:56
Stupid question time Im afraid ......... where do you insert that code??
Thanks
Martin
The Head Section field of your template is on the first tab in the Template Editor.
TeamTorquesteer
31-10-2007, 13:12
Thanks Rich.
Adva Trading
22-01-2008, 06:46
Another idea:
Get your images watermark with your website address or name.
Thanks for the tip Eran.
The water here is lovely, btw.
Pete
little-linguist
22-01-2008, 20:32
Another idea:
Get your images watermark with your website address or name.
The images "pinched" were watermarked!
We have a new problem now too- the same competitor is using our company name in his Meta (Title) tags. Does anyone know if this is illegal?
We have a new problem now too- the same competitor is using our company name in his Meta (Title) tags. Does anyone know if this is illegal?
My understanding is that this is definitely illegal, if you own the company name. I suggest send them a "Cease and Desist" order (either via yourselves, or preferably from your lawyer) and see how they respond.
Adva Trading
23-01-2008, 08:48
The images "pinched" were watermarked!
Good. Now everybody that see the images will see your domain name.
Other than that, yes, get a lawer.
entertaintoday
23-01-2008, 08:54
I don't think it is illegal to use other company names in meta tags - I know that Google adwords allow you to use competitor names to bring up paid ads, so can't really see the difference. I do think it should be banned, and I would like to point out that I have never done it!
It does seem to be a grey area - this is a link to an article where one company has sued another (in the States, admittedly) for using their name in meta tags:
http://www.lockergnome.com/web/2004/12/08/company-sued-for-including-competitors-name-in-meta-tags/
This following link is from the business insight service provided by Birmingham City Council about the use of competitors' names, in which they do say
"The deceptive use of another company's trademark in these or similar ways can result in a successful trademark infringement lawsuit, leading to an award of financial damages."
http://www.creativeinsightuk.com/CINOTES/MetaTags.htm
Of course, a Trademark is more significant than a company name, which is more difficult to protect.
I'd still report it to Google as an infringement of good practice, and see what they say.
Pete
I know that you might expect that by a competitor using your name it may divert some potential business to them but surely all they are really doing is spending their money advertising your business!
I know that you might expect that by a competitor using your name it may divert some potential business to them but surely all they are really doing is spending their money advertising your business!
Hi Mike
Because the meta tags are invisible to the searching public, they are not promoting your name, simply redirecting people looking for you to their site, where they could potentially end up buying your competitors product rather than the one they first set out to find.
Pete
Has anyone here actually tried this to see if it works. (or do you know anyone who has tried it)
Brilliant, just added the code. That was another good reason for spending an hour surfing this forum. I always wondered how you did that.
Thanks
Hela - Good Thymes
update to this thread is http://www.bluepark.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=3095&posted=1#post3095 with a different code but has no pop up message.
The code as published by Rich below displays a message re images protected but when the message box is closed the right click menu pops up and is active so the code fails, I have tried a number of suggestions many of which work fine in IE but fail altogether in Firefox
Please use this code to disable right click in both IE & Firefox
Copy and past the code below into the "Head section (developers)" editor found in the "template editor"
<script type="text/javascript">
function md(e)
{
try { if (event.button==2||event.button==3) return false; }
catch (e) { if (e.which == 3) return false; }
}
document.oncontextmenu = function() { return false; }
document.ondragstart = function() { return false; }
document.onmousedown = md;
</script>
powertoolworld
19-03-2009, 20:46
Thanks for that Phil that works a treat.
pinkypie
26-03-2009, 14:08
Whoo, fab. I've just done mine. Mind you, mine are what the manufacturer gives us but it'll stop people trawling my site and upping my stats if they cannot nick the pictures.
Have just caught someone pinching images from our site - I suppose it's sort of an underhand appreciation of our work! I have sent them an email and have offered them the services of our graphics team (for a fee!). Have also inserted this code into our head section which has disabled the right click function.
We all go really excited when this worked (sad I know) - BluePark is truely and awesome product!!
People can still cut and paste - only real way is to watermark,
chubster
18-03-2011, 10:14
On our old site we inserted the code below into our htaccess file...It doesnt stop right clicking or indeed them "taking" your images but what it does do is display a nice banner or image of your own (say your internet address) on their website. So free advetising and a link :D
I know we dont have access as such to the htaccess file but perhaps Rich could put it in
#Stop Image Hotlinking
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http(s)?://(www.)?petshop2u.co.uk (http://www.)?petshop2u.co.uk) [NC]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http(s)?://(www.)?petshop2u.com (http://www.)?petshop2u.com) [NC]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^$
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !google\. [NC]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !search\?q=cache [NC]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !msn\. [NC]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !yahoo\. [NC]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !^hotlinker.jpe$
RewriteRule .(jpe?g|png|gif|jpg)$ /images/hotlinker.jpe [NC,R,L]
Red Devil
18-03-2011, 10:14
Also put this into Template Editor (Your template) / Site / Head Section (Developers).
It stops the Windows toolbar appearing when you place your cursor over an image - the toolbar would usually give you an icon to "save" to your PC.
Images with hyperlinks don't need this because the cursor changes to a hand or whatever. Images that don't have hyperlinks will do.
<meta http-equiv="imagetoolbar" content="no"/>
There's no 100% solution to this problem - All images/files are saved in people's temporary internet files - but everything helps.
This is another thread on the subject
http://www.bluepark.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?2256-Making-Images-un-liftable
Thanks for your feedback guys. As you say none of this will stop the determined thief - but every little helps.
Jim Smith
12-05-2011, 11:40
Found my first stolen image (and page content) used by a Chinese company on that site that translates to 'thieves' they even put their company logo on it and watermarked it. It's not even a good image I very much doubt they are using the technology described in the content as I request this from the supplier as my own spec.
Jim Smith
13-05-2011, 09:32
They have now stolen 4 product images & content, made a few calls to China and managed to get hold of someone who speaks English, emailed them. Filed a complaint with Alibaba yesterday but have not heard back, will look at how to file DMCA's with the 3 major search engines at the weekend.
If you search Google for 'carbide inserts for aluminium' you will see an example of the stolen content just after the shopping results.
Watermark your images then.
Take a look at the batchphoto software.
Jim Smith
16-05-2011, 08:23
Looks like they have removed the images and content.
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