Finally found a way to stop image and file leeching on our sites

[Allen Harkleroad]

I have been frustrated for over two years trying to thwart other sites from stealing our images and linking directly to our tutorial PDF files on www.TIEMdesign.com (http://www.TIEMdesign.com)
I have tried redirect scripts, download scripts and still the image and file leeches we doing what they wanted.

NOT ANY MORE!

Being we are on WIndows servers we do not have access to .htaccess like they do on Unix and Linux, so we had to devise other means of protecting files, most of them only worked till they figured out how to bypass the scripts (and boy did they). Ina any case over the weekend i found an ISAPI filter (compiled file for Internet Information Services (IIS). It is call HotLinkStop ($130.00 for one site with up to 10 domains pointing to it, or $500.00 for the unlimited use version). In any case I bought it and installed (requires access onthe server or someone installing it if you do not have access). In less than an hour it prevented 35 leeched files from being displayed, you can customize the image that is returned to the other site. Our "stolen" image send them a graphic that says "This image or file was stolen from www.TIEMdesign.com", I can tell you for me this was one of the best things Ihave found for the server in a couple of years.

It doesn't stop them from saving the file and using it, but it stops bandwidth theives and leeces from pulling aour copyright images and using them directly (and there are a lot of leeches runnning around).

If you want to see how it work create a page on your website and then go to www.tiemdesign.com (http://www.tiemdesign.com) and find an image, use it in a page on your site, but make sure the image link is pulling from TIEMdesign.com, when you load thepages you will see the "stolen" image/message.

You can dictate which sites you allows to pull images and you can even block IP ranges if you want to stop them before they even see it. I was thinking of doing this to the those dratted image search engines. You can also configre what to protect (even htm and dynamic web pages).

In any case i finally get the last laugh on the image thieve and leeches.

Look for a review of this software soon on TIEMdesign.com

here is a couple of entries (notice the redirect to /stolen.gif):

2004-06-07 05:11:08 Visitor IP 24.225.225.50, linked from: http://SEARCH.YAHOO.COM, requested WWW.AGOODTUTORIAL.COM/howto/2002/December/PSCompositing/pscompositing.pdf (http://www.AGOODTUTORIAL.COM/howto/2002/December/PSCompositing/pscompositing.pdf) Redirecting to '/stolen.gif'

2004-06-07 05:46:35 Visitor IP 61.208.187.30, linked from: http://WWW.EXCITE.CO.JP, requested THE-INTERNET-EYE.COM/HOWTO/2000/June00/Poser4toCinema6/posercinematutpic6.jpg Redirecting to '/stolen.gif'
2004-06-07 06:10:54 Visitor IP 62.90.35.71, linked from: http://WWW.3DFACULTY.COM, requested WWW.TUTORIALHUNT.COM/images/th88x31.jpg (http://www.TUTORIALHUNT.COM/images/th88x31.jpg) Redirecting to '/stolen.gif'

2004-06-07 06:16:24 Visitor IP 195.46.192.237, linked from: http://WWW.FANGDOWN.COM, requested WWW.INTERNETEYE3D.COM/3DReviews/2004/January/MotionBuilder51/pic1.jpg (http://www.INTERNETEYE3D.COM/3DReviews/2004/January/MotionBuilder51/pic1.jpg) Redirecting to '/stolen.gif'

Ain't life GRAND!

Have a great weeken everyone!

Allen







Allen Harkleroad
"I live in my own little world. But it's OK. They know me here."

Get inside my head at www.DontFear.com (http://www.DontFear.com)

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Post Edited (Allen H) : 6/7/2004 10:22:57 AM GMT

Thats Great Allen. I can see how bandwidth could be a problem with people linking from other sites.

[Allen Harkleroad]

Not only that, but the are stealing our COPYRIGHTED images.
Example of a site leeching our images:
http://strefa3d.gry-online.pl/tutoriale.php?ac=show&id=27

Never asked, even took or tutorial and translated it to polish and then had the nerve to link directly to our images. THis is the kind of stuff that makes me feel like selling everything and getting a j.o.b in the real world (shuddering at that thought).

Allen

Allen Harkleroad
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LMAO! That would do it to them. Bunch of theives.

I just don't understand how someone could do that without asking for permission. Idiots!

[Allen Harkleroad]

I have found that onthe net, if you put it up, there is someone or thing that will steal it and re-use it as their own. I tried being nice, but the time it took to track them done wasn't worth it, that is only one of MANY that are attemtping to steal images, pdf's all sorts of things. It really sucks loudly for sure.

Allen Harkleroad
"I live in my own little world. But it's OK. They know me here."

Get inside my head at www.DontFear.com (http://www.DontFear.com)

Visit Our Magazine: www.TIEMdesign.com (http://www.TIEMdesign.com)

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Yea. I know when I first started using the net our teacher showed us how to steal (remove) images to use in our designs.

Now that I think of it that was soooo unprofesional of him.

[Allen Harkleroad]

i agree very unprofessional.

Allen Harkleroad
"I live in my own little world. But it's OK. They know me here."

Get inside my head at www.DontFear.com (http://www.DontFear.com)

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[D-Frag]

You rock Allen, keep up the good work man, alot of talent goes into those so its nice to finally get some payback on the stinking thieves!!

[Ryan8720]

Allen, if you don't want the image search engines to index your images, just use robots.txt and disallow the images folders.

http://edgewebdesign.org/ryan2.gif (http://www.edgewebdesign.org)

C:\DOS
C:\DOS\RUN
RUN DOS RUN

[Allen Harkleroad]

Hi Ryan,
I am aware fo the robots text file. Probablem number one is TIEMdesign has nearly 40,000 images on it and most are in each review, tutorial, etc. Several bots and spiders ignore the robots txt file completely, so we have a script that re-directs the naughty bots and spiders back to thier originainting IP, thus it cannot get ot them, i have been seeing yahoo.com seartch caching our PDf files and we specifically do not allow them to index images or PDF via the robots.txt, they seem to do as they please. I have something coming up (server side script) that if it matches a partcular user agent or ip block it sends them to a set of 'trap' pages so the spiders will get hung up indexing in a loop.

Allen

Allen Harkleroad
"I live in my own little world. But it's OK. They know me here."

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Your like an evil scientist.

[Ryan8720]

I thought that you probably had the images in separate folders after I posted. Another idea is just disallow the file extensions. That should work for Google, which is what most people use. Sounds like your already setting ambushes though. lol

http://edgewebdesign.org/ryan2.gif (http://www.edgewebdesign.org)

C:\DOS
C:\DOS\RUN
RUN DOS RUN

[Allen Harkleroad]

Yes i am an evil web wizard bent on making people behave, do the right thing and use proper netiqutte <g> wherever i go and whatever i do (LOL)> If they don't then i get to whack off a body part with my choice of weapon...

Or i can just go Medieval on them, depends on my mood at the time and if i woke up cranky or not...

Allen Harkleroad
"I live in my own little world. But it's OK. They know me here."

Get inside my head at www.DontFear.com (http://www.DontFear.com)

Visit Our Magazine: www.TIEMdesign.com (http://www.TIEMdesign.com)

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[axoi]

Why not convert some of them to asp or php? Most search engines ignore those files anyway and it would be a simple task to have a central spot to load the images from. It would be real hard for search engines to go through a PHP script and find those tutorials. HMM... this gives me an idea.

Oh What i mean by converting them to PHP is not changing the extension ( .jpg to .php is not going to happen ) but using a script to hide them. That way you could check for http referrer or domain name to make sure they are on the list. Basically ( <img src=protectme.php > etc. ) and if okay then presents the image as a jpg or gif or whatever.

Did you look at url scan as well? Its a Microsoft free bee that does some of what you are talking about.

- Bill

[Allen Harkleroad]

We tried the script, which the leeches found a way to get past it, actually we broke the dowmloads to three scripts and then streamed the images via memory and they still found a way to guess the path, not that we have hotlinkstop on the server all the others sites get is a 'Stolen Image' graphic instead of thier download or image file. I wish i could quitely nuke the sites that steal from us the most, revenge isn't right but most of the time it is very fun!

Allen Harkleroad
"I live in my own little world. But it's OK. They know me here."

Get inside my head at www.DontFear.com (http://www.DontFear.com)

Visit Our Magazine: www.TIEMdesign.com (http://www.TIEMdesign.com)

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[D-Zine]

Yer awesome Allen...thanks for all yer hard work ;o)

http://coastalcarousel.com/GDF/metatag3.jpg

Who says doodling isn't constructive?!

[Allen Harkleroad]

/emoticons/wink.gif Thanks 'D'

Allen Harkleroad
"I live in my own little world. But it's OK. They know me here."

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[cat_dancing]

re:
2004-06-07 06:10:54 Visitor IP 62.90.35.71, linked from: http://WWW.3DFACULTY.COM, requested WWW.TUTORIALHUNT.COM/images/th88x31.jpg Redirecting to '/stolen.gif'

in my case i hv a portal call 3dfaculty based on myphpnuke
your image was used by us on the random banner box and had a direct link to WWW.TUTORIALHUNT.COM.

this box gives direct link to sites i think people shoud be aware too in order to promote thier knowladge in cg

the porppose of that action was to exposea site to the 3dfaculty community not toleech your work

i think you own us some appology

regard
cat

Post Edited (cat_dancing) : 6/24/2004 4:16:24 PM GMT

[Allen Harkleroad]

i do not owe anyone an apology, if you wanted to use the image you should have copied it to your server rather than use our bandwidth.You never even asked, so screw you and your apology.






PS: You is now banned


PPS: Just to show there is no hard feelings i just banned your whole net block, so i doubt you will ever see any of our sites in future much less this forum,and it is blocked at the router you lame asswipe. the entire 62.90.*.* block is what i am referring to, friggin leech. I don't give a rat's ass if you ever see anything on our network again.


Anyone else want to complain about us preserving our bandwidth and stopping sites from using our copyright content?


Sheesh








Allen "the infinitely frustrated" Harkleroad
"I live in my own little world. But it's OK. They know me here."

Get inside my head at www.DontFear.com (http://www.DontFear.com)

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Post Edited (Allen H) : 6/24/2004 11:24:51 PM GMT

[Kool]

Now THAT was a big ol can a whupp ass!!! /emoticons/specool.gif

http://home.comcast.net/~rnick9/KoolsSig.gif

'I used to be with it. But then they changed what it was. Now what I'm with isn't it, and what's it seems weird and scary to me.' Abraham Simpson

[uncle carbunkle]

ALLEN ROCKS.

greetings, earthlings. take me to your dealer.

[Ryan8720]

/emoticons/worshippy.gif The was one of the best posts I've ever read.

I'm an Op on a friend of mine's DC hub. I IP banned 12 people in 5 minutes. It was actually one person with a hacked client that was leeching. Banning and kicking is so much fun.

http://edgewebdesign.org/ryan2.gif (http://www.edgewebdesign.org)

Quick! There is time to waste, hurry up and wait!

[Allen Harkleroad]

tank you, tank you veddy much /emoticons/wink.gif
Idiot kind of poked one of my sore spots.


Allen "the infinitely frustrated" Harkleroad
"I live in my own little world. But it's OK. They know me here."

Get inside my head at www.DontFear.com (http://www.DontFear.com)

Visit Our Magazine: www.TIEMdesign.com (http://www.TIEMdesign.com)

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