While talking to a friend the other day, the subject of right-click-copy came up.
We ended up discussing the pros and cons of having the right-click-copy function enabled or disabled.
It was quite an interesting conversation as we both felt the same way and had the same solutions to getting around a disabled right-click-copy function.
I decided to write a post on right-click-copy and share some of our frustrations and solutions.
Why Use Right-Click-Copy?
When the right-click-copy function is enabled no one can highlight any text or images on your blog, right click and copy them.
Many people, especially those new to the internet (I think), tend to disable the right-click-copy function to try to prevent others from stealing their content.
I am getting ready to release a product on blog security called Blog Security Defender. In this product I actually show you how to enable the right-click-copy function as one of many ways to help protect your blog.
While I show you how to use this function I am not completely convinced that it really does much good. I mostly show you how to use it because it is one way of providing some security. I actually show you a lot of other ways to secure your blog that are much more effective.
Does Right-Click-Copy Work?
Yes, it does work. You can not highlight text or images right click and copy them.
No, it does not stop anyone who knows how to, from copying anything off of your website.
No, it will not stop your website from being hacked.
My website was hacked about 5 months or so after I started blogging. No, I did not have right-click-copy disabled but it would not of mattered.
The person who hacked my blog actually stole every bit of my content and made it the only current content on their blog. They did not use right-click-copy to do this however. I am not really sure how they did it but as soon as I would post something to my blog it would also post to theirs. This included all comments made on my blog. Finding out how they did it was never really important to me as I never intend to do that. At that time, the only thing that was important was stopping the hacker.
If you want to read more about when I was hacked go to the post I wrote at that time. My Blog Has Been Hijacked!!
In this post I just wanted to point out that preventing right-click-copy would not have prevented what happened to me.
How To Very Simply Get Around Right-Click-Copy?
There is a very simple way or probably several very simple ways to get around right-click-copy in order to copy text or images from most any website.
Maybe some of you know this but for those who do not I will show you how use one method here in the following video.
The Decision – To Enable or Disable Right-Click-Copy?
As I said before Right-Click-Copy is one way of protecting the content of your blog and I did show how to do this in my blog security product. I do think it is probably one of the most least effective ways of protecting content. I actually do show some much more effective ways of content protection in my product that most people would never know you did.
The questions is who does it protect your content from? Anyone who wants to steal your content for negative reasons knows how to copy the code like I did in the video and most probably in many other ways.
I think the people right-click-copy really protects a blog from are other bloggers who want to include a excerpt from someone else’s blog in their post giving full credit to the author. If I was looking to include an excerpt from another blog and that blog had right-click-copy disabled I would probably go on to another blog to get the excerpt I wanted or just leave it out of my post.
I think it is an honor to have my blog quoted in another persons post and it is great free advertising for my blog. I really do not want to miss out on that.
What Do You Think?
It is your turn now. Just what do you think about right-click-copy? I know there are some very different thoughts on this out there as I have had conversations with others about both sides of the issue.
Leave me a comment and let me know just where you stand!
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{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Dee Ann,
You and I have had conversations about this but I’m more then happy to share my thoughts here as well.
I think it’s a waste myself because I have a service connected to my blog that actually let’s me know how much of my content is being copied. Do you also know that the few times I’ve found an entire post on someone else’s blog that I was given full credit for it and my links remained! That’s free advertisement for me. Who doesn’t want that!
I think that most people have that thought in the back of their minds that this will prevent people from “stealing” their content and/or images which we both know is a lie.
It’s just like someone who breaks into your home or car. You can have all the security you want to protect it but the people who don’t care about that will do it anyway. The same thing goes for hackers.
I’m one of those who knows how to get around it so you’re just making me take that extra step. Actually, I just copy the source code if I want it bad enough but if you’ve enabled the right click copy on your blog I more then likely won’t be visiting you anyway so that’s really not an issue with me.
Great topic to share and one that I think a lot of people just aren’t aware of. They’ve been told it will prevent your content from being stolen and that’s just not true. It might help but it won’t prevent it.
~Adrienne
Adrienne,
How right you are “It might help but it won’t prevent it.” That is so true.
I too think that it is a very misunderstood point and many people think it will stop their content from being stolen.
When all it really does is prevent avid bloggers from sharing your content.
Thanks for the share.
Dee Ann
Dee Ann Rice recently posted…Link Cloaking Made Easy!
Hi Dee Ann,
Some good points about whether to have copy protect or not. I recently deactivated mine, it was a plugin I didn’t really need because as you’ve demonstrated here, if someone wants it, they’ll get it.
So, let it be copied -as long as you give credit to the original source and Adrienne has put good argument to that one -free advertising
Thanks Dee Ann
Take Care
Julie
Julie recently posted…The Pests of the Net Hacking at LinkedIn Accounts
Julie,
I don’t think I have ever had it the no copy activated on my blog that I have now. I really do not see a point to it as it is really easy to get around.
I also like the free advertising and my link getting out there more.
The fewer plugins the better.
Thanks for your comment.
Dee Ann
Dee Ann Rice recently posted…Link Cloaking Made Easy!
DeeAnn,
You and I have had many conversations about this exact topic, and I have decided to allow right-click-copy on my blog simply because if someone wants to quote me and give me credit, I want them to be able to. Great post!
Cheryl
Cheryl,
Great to see you here on my blog.
That is exactly how I feel if they want to quote me, let them. Just give me credit and we are all set. I love the advertising.
We will have to talk soon!!!
Dee Ann
Dee Ann Rice recently posted…The Secret To Great Blog Post Topics
That was very interesting Dee Ann and an open minder.
I’m sure it was for many others as well. I will definitely be interested in your new eBook. We can’t ever know enough about those things.
Thank for this valuable information. I will share.
Sylviane Nuccio recently posted…My 5 Most Frequently Asked Writing Questions
Sylviane,
I am glad that you found it interesting. I really like this kind of stuff.
It is amazing the things people do thinking that they are protecting something but really it just looks like they are.
I am hoping to have my ebook out very soon.
Thanks for your comment.
Dee Ann
Dee Ann Rice recently posted…Link Cloaking Made Easy!
Hi Dee Ann
I’ve not considered disabling right-click copy at all to be honest.
If people want to get hold of your content they’re going to one way or another.
I do use a service that tells me whether any of my content has been copied, however.
It’s interesting to know and if people give me the relevant acknowledgement then all is okay in the world
.
Tim Bonner recently posted…Could Your Google+ Button Use A Little Love?
Tim,
I also use a service like that and it is amazing the links I get from people copying my content.
Like you I am great with it if I get the credit and what a great form of FREE advertising.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Dee Ann
Dee Ann Rice recently posted…The Secret To Great Blog Post Topics
Dee Ann, you convinced me not to get the plug-in. I don’t like to have too many plug-ins either because they can slow the speed down. If they want to copy Google will give my site credit since I was first. So copy away and link is what I think
There is a site too you can check to see if anyone has copied your images or text. I like to do that once a while too.
Great topic Dee Ann!
Lisa recently posted…Can More Than One Blog Be One Too Many To Juggle?
Lisa,
I don’t like to have to many plugins either because it does tend to slow blogs down.
I think the same thing as you. Copy all you want and just give me the credit and a link. I am happy.
I do check that site every now and then also to see if anything has been copied.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Dee Ann
Dee Ann Rice recently posted…The Secret To Great Blog Post Topics
Hi Dee Ann
Hey I just learned something here! I didn’t know about right click copy until now.
It is always good to safe guard our property, but, what about snapshot or snaggit? Some people can do that also. Hmmm
It is just like our home. We can have the security system on, the dog in the house, but if someone wants to get in they will.
But I do believe that any and all forms of protecting our property wouldn’t hurt us a bit.
Thanks for this lesson!
Donna
Donna,
That is really true no matter what we do someone is going to break in if they want to bad enough.
I thought about snapshot and snaggit also but that is just a jpg image after it is copied so it would not show up as content like when it is copied and pasted. I don’t think you have to worry about them.
Thanks for your comment and have a great weekend.
Dee Ann Rice
Dee Ann Rice recently posted…The Secret To Great Blog Post Topics
Content theft is just a fact of life online.If million-dollar galleries can’t keep people in China from making knockoffs, we can’t expect perfect security for our words.
I mean, someone can turn off Javascript, save a picture, save your Flash/Java applet/streaming media… and you have to worry that you’ll make your site so tedious and cumbersome in the name of security that you irritate the legit visitors that want to read your stuff… and that’s most of them!
So yeah, there’s too much out there to sweat to add this to the list.
Micah,
that is true content theft is a fact of like. We can do somethings to slow the hackers down and maybe make them just move on to someone else’s blog but that is about all.
I agree with you on making your blog so the legit visitors do not want to come. That is why I do not use the right-click-copy plugin.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Dee Ann
Dee Ann Rice recently posted…The Secret To Great Blog Post Topics
Hi Dee Ann,
I have no idea what “right click copy” till now. Guess like Adrienne said, even if you put the right click protection, they can still steal your images & contents just by opening the “source.” However, by having it activated the thief will think twice. It’s not going to be easy. It’s like when a burglar comes into my house, if he sees I have a huge dog guarding the house, he will more likely to think twice but that wouldn’t prevent anyone from stealing something in my home. All he needs to do is give him poison and his malicious mission can be done. Anyway, thank you for educating me, I’ve learned something new!
Angela
Angela McCall recently posted…How to start as a Freelancer?
Angela,
Yes, right-click-copy would make them think and might slow them down but if someone wants to steal something there are ways around it.
I like having my content copied as long as they give me credit so I don’t use the right-click-copy.
Thanks for your thoughts and glad you learned something.
Dee Ann
Dee Ann Rice recently posted…The Secret To Great Blog Post Topics
Hi Dee Ann,
Great topic!
I’m surely not going to get the plugin for the right click disabled. I prefer people giving credit to others for their ideas.
Thanks for sharing.
Sapna
Sapna,
That is how I feel. I will take all of the credit and links I can get.
Thanks for sharing.
Dee Ann
Dee Ann Rice recently posted…The Secret To Great Blog Post Topics
I’m glad you mentioned other ways to get around it because I was going to say that many people get a false sense of security using something like that. Also, most scrappers aren’t coming to your site anyway; they’re using code to grab your RSS feeds and that’s how they’re getting your content.
I use a copyright service so that if someone steals my stuff, my copyright notice is on it. I can track things that way and I’m not averse to threatening someone with a DCMA notice and shut their sites down.
Mitch Mitchell recently posted…Changing How I Accept Comments On This Blog
Recently I have faced the problem of malware content in my few blogs. SO the hosting company suggested me to use this script of disabling the right click on your blog.
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