is there a sure way to stop hotlinking? at DVinfo.net

Rafal Krolik · January 31st, 2005, 12:25 PM

I found websites that hotlink to videos on my site. The problem wouldn't be that great if they at least were doing it to show the video but in this case they are using it as their background music.
Is flash the only option I have to prevent the bandwith thieves from hotlinking or is there another option.
Thanks.

Mark Sloan · January 31st, 2005, 01:07 PM

Your ISP can set up a non-linking from outside sources rule for the server. It is pretty easy to do so I would hope they allow you to do this... This means that none of your image or video files can be linked by outside URLs... in many cases you can set up specific IP addresses that you allow, but again, it depends on your ISP.

Robert Knecht Schmidt · January 31st, 2005, 01:15 PM

Right. This guy tried to hotlink one of my photographs of the first Wendy's restaurant today, but as you can see, he gets a very small placeholder GIF that directs people to my site instead. This sort of thing is easy to set up so long as you can get into your Apache config file.

Brandon Greenlee · January 31st, 2005, 05:45 PM

Thats awesome. Is that something you have to personally know how to setup or will my host more than likely do that apache configuration for me?

Christopher Lefchik · January 31st, 2005, 09:14 PM

Robert,

It looks like the guy's hotlinking is now working. Your Wendy's photo is showing up, not your small placeholder GIF.

Robert Knecht Schmidt · January 31st, 2005, 10:29 PM

Christopher, if you went to my site to see the Wendy's picture, and then back to his site, the photo would show up, because it would be in your cache.

For this reason, he'll probably never know that everbody else sees the placeholder GIF, because he'll always see the page as he intended.

Brandon, I don't know whether your host service will be helpful enough to set this up for you, but if you're not hosting on your own server, what do you care if others hotlink? It doesn't stop them from stealing the files, only the bandwidth. Or maybe your hosting deal limits your bandwidth and then shuts down access to your site after X number of megabytes have been viewed?

Rafal Krolik · February 1st, 2005, 09:48 AM

Thanks a lot guys. I will contact my ISP and see what they offer.
For my purpose, because I code in ASP, I am hosting on the Windows servers, maybe I will need to switch if this doesn't work.
Thanks again

Rafal Krolik · February 1st, 2005, 11:29 AM

Just a quick update, I opened up a service ticket with my ISP and within seconds had the problem solved by ISP putting a block on the IP range I provided them. BTW, I have to give these guys a plug. The company's name is HOSTEK.NET , I have been with them for almost seven years now. Never had a downtime, they are up to speed on everything and offers a full plate of great services. I also never waited more than 10 minutes for my issues to be addressed.
Again, thanks for your suggestions.

James Emory · February 1st, 2005, 11:46 AM

Probably the easiest way to prevent this is to just periodically change the filename or the directory for how it appears on your site. More than likely the pirate will get tired of seeing a blank space on their site and/or get tired of going to yours to get the newest url that you have changed it to and eventually just give up. Another way would be to change the filename/directory as it appears on your site and substitute another image with the orginal filename/directory that says unauthorized image to show everyone visiting their site that they are pirating.

Christopher Lefchik · February 1st, 2005, 01:44 PM

Robert,

Well that's odd, because I didn't go to your site first, yet the photo still showed up.

*EDIT* Just tested again. I cleared my browsers' caches before hand, just to make sure. This time your placeholder worked. Don't know why. Like I said, I hadn't viewed that image on your site beforehand, though I may have visited your homepage about the time I went to his. Odd.

Rhett Allen · February 1st, 2005, 02:28 PM

Why don't you send the owner of the site a nasty cease and desist letter. After all, if they are stealing your music, from your site, to use on their site, wouldn't that be an infringement of your copyright?

Boyd Ostroff · February 1st, 2005, 04:29 PM

<<<-- Originally posted by Christopher Lefchik : Well that's odd, because I didn't go to your site first, yet the photo still showed up. -->>>

I have never been to your site either, but I saw the Wendy's image when I clicked on that link...

Robert Knecht Schmidt · February 2nd, 2005, 12:19 PM

Which Wendy's image, Boyd? There are several on the page. If the picture of the first restaurant in Columbus appears even after you've cleared your cache, then it's a bit of a mystery.

Rafal Krolik · February 2nd, 2005, 02:33 PM

Rhett, I did send them an e-mail, I also e-mailed their host provider and nothing. BTW, the IP blocking didn't do jack to resolve the issue so I guess I will have to keep changing the name or convert everything to flash. What bothers me the most that this is most likely some little girl, obviously a fan, and completely disregards a reasonable request to support her favorite artist by actually buying a CD as opposed to stealing it. I keep having these visions of Joe Pesci in the Goodfellows shooting the busboy in the leg...not sure why.

Robert Mann Z. · February 2nd, 2005, 03:32 PM

<<<-- Originally posted by Rafal Krolik :
Is flash the only option I have to prevent the bandwith thieves from hotlinking or is there another option.
Thanks. -->>>

you can embed the file into your web page...

usually done like this, java script to open up a new page off a link, page is sized to video so only video shows, video qt or windows media is embedded into the page...

so there is no direct link to the video, they can't link to the web page because your using a java script link not a html an html link...

you can learn how to do all this stuff by using google for embeding video on a html page and search google for java script hot links and open page commands

good luck

by the way the wendys picture showed on my computer as well...

January 31st, 2005, 12:25 PM	#1
Rafal Krolik Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Milwaukee, Wi Posts: 160	is there a sure way to stop hotlinking? I found websites that hotlink to videos on my site. The problem wouldn't be that great if they at least were doing it to show the video but in this case they are using it as their background music. Is flash the only option I have to prevent the bandwith thieves from hotlinking or is there another option. Thanks.

January 31st, 2005, 01:15 PM	#3
Robert Knecht Schmidt Wrangler Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 1,933	Right. This guy tried to hotlink one of my photographs of the first Wendy's restaurant today, but as you can see, he gets a very small placeholder GIF that directs people to my site instead. This sort of thing is easy to set up so long as you can get into your Apache config file. __________________ All the best, Robert K S Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| The best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

January 31st, 2005, 05:45 PM	#4
Brandon Greenlee Major Player Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: North Alabama Posts: 242	Thats awesome. Is that something you have to personally know how to setup or will my host more than likely do that apache configuration for me? __________________ Brandon Greenlee

January 31st, 2005, 10:29 PM	#6
Robert Knecht Schmidt Wrangler Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 1,933	Christopher, if you went to my site to see the Wendy's picture, and then back to his site, the photo would show up, because it would be in your cache. For this reason, he'll probably never know that everbody else sees the placeholder GIF, because he'll always see the page as he intended. Brandon, I don't know whether your host service will be helpful enough to set this up for you, but if you're not hosting on your own server, what do you care if others hotlink? It doesn't stop them from stealing the files, only the bandwidth. Or maybe your hosting deal limits your bandwidth and then shuts down access to your site after X number of megabytes have been viewed? __________________ All the best, Robert K S Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| The best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

February 2nd, 2005, 12:19 PM	#13
Robert Knecht Schmidt Wrangler Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 1,933	Which Wendy's image, Boyd? There are several on the page. If the picture of the first restaurant in Columbus appears even after you've cleared your cache, then it's a bit of a mystery. __________________ All the best, Robert K S Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| The best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

January 31st, 2005, 01:07 PM	#2
Mark Sloan Major Player Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Venice, CA Posts: 346	Your ISP can set up a non-linking from outside sources rule for the server. It is pretty easy to do so I would hope they allow you to do this... This means that none of your image or video files can be linked by outside URLs... in many cases you can set up specific IP addresses that you allow, but again, it depends on your ISP.

January 31st, 2005, 09:14 PM	#5
Christopher Lefchik Trustee Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: US Posts: 1,152	Robert, It looks like the guy's hotlinking is now working. Your Wendy's photo is showing up, not your small placeholder GIF.

February 1st, 2005, 09:48 AM	#7
Rafal Krolik Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Milwaukee, Wi Posts: 160	Thanks a lot guys. I will contact my ISP and see what they offer. For my purpose, because I code in ASP, I am hosting on the Windows servers, maybe I will need to switch if this doesn't work. Thanks again

February 1st, 2005, 11:29 AM	#8
Rafal Krolik Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Milwaukee, Wi Posts: 160	Just a quick update, I opened up a service ticket with my ISP and within seconds had the problem solved by ISP putting a block on the IP range I provided them. BTW, I have to give these guys a plug. The company's name is HOSTEK.NET , I have been with them for almost seven years now. Never had a downtime, they are up to speed on everything and offers a full plate of great services. I also never waited more than 10 minutes for my issues to be addressed. Again, thanks for your suggestions.

February 1st, 2005, 11:46 AM	#9
James Emory Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 1,892	Probably the easiest way to prevent this is to just periodically change the filename or the directory for how it appears on your site. More than likely the pirate will get tired of seeing a blank space on their site and/or get tired of going to yours to get the newest url that you have changed it to and eventually just give up. Another way would be to change the filename/directory as it appears on your site and substitute another image with the orginal filename/directory that says unauthorized image to show everyone visiting their site that they are pirating.

February 1st, 2005, 01:44 PM	#10
Christopher Lefchik Trustee Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: US Posts: 1,152	Robert, Well that's odd, because I didn't go to your site first, yet the photo still showed up. EDIT Just tested again. I cleared my browsers' caches before hand, just to make sure. This time your placeholder worked. Don't know why. Like I said, I hadn't viewed that image on your site beforehand, though I may have visited your homepage about the time I went to his. Odd.

February 1st, 2005, 02:28 PM	#11
Rhett Allen Major Player Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Plano, TX Posts: 607	Why don't you send the owner of the site a nasty cease and desist letter. After all, if they are stealing your music, from your site, to use on their site, wouldn't that be an infringement of your copyright?

February 1st, 2005, 04:29 PM	#12
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,802	<<<-- Originally posted by Christopher Lefchik : Well that's odd, because I didn't go to your site first, yet the photo still showed up. -->>> I have never been to your site either, but I saw the Wendy's image when I clicked on that link...

February 2nd, 2005, 02:33 PM	#14
Rafal Krolik Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Milwaukee, Wi Posts: 160	Rhett, I did send them an e-mail, I also e-mailed their host provider and nothing. BTW, the IP blocking didn't do jack to resolve the issue so I guess I will have to keep changing the name or convert everything to flash. What bothers me the most that this is most likely some little girl, obviously a fan, and completely disregards a reasonable request to support her favorite artist by actually buying a CD as opposed to stealing it. I keep having these visions of Joe Pesci in the Goodfellows shooting the busboy in the leg...not sure why.

February 2nd, 2005, 03:32 PM	#15
Robert Mann Z. Skyonic New York Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: NYC Posts: 614	Re: is there a sure way to stop hotlinking? <<<-- Originally posted by Rafal Krolik : Is flash the only option I have to prevent the bandwith thieves from hotlinking or is there another option. Thanks. -->>> you can embed the file into your web page... usually done like this, java script to open up a new page off a link, page is sized to video so only video shows, video qt or windows media is embedded into the page... so there is no direct link to the video, they can't link to the web page because your using a java script link not a html an html link... you can learn how to do all this stuff by using google for embeding video on a html page and search google for java script hot links and open page commands good luck by the way the wendys picture showed on my computer as well...