Tracking script

[Wizet]

I know this might sound a little crazy but is there like a tracking script that like for example you have a website and afraid that someone might steal it so then the tracking script would track know who stole it.

If you do not understand PM me or post. If you do have a solution that would be greatly appreciated.

 

[TheMan177]

What do you mean by someone stealing a website? Do you mean taking content off it, such as images or articles?

 

[Wizet]

I'm saying if someone steals my code. I would then be able to track the person down and then fine him/her or sue.

 

[TheMan177]

That's not really possible. There's nothing you can really do if its client-side code. For server-side code, you may be able to use some kind of phone home feature to maybe send an email if, say, its operating environment changes. This can be easily removed though and won't give you anywhere near enough information to sue someone.

What is the actual reason you want to protect the code? Client-side code is available to everyone who views the page, the only thing you can really do is protect it with some kind of copyright. Server side code should never be accessible to the public, unless its by a mistake by you, or a vulnerable or misconfigured server on x10's part.

 

[kkenny]

I'm saying if someone steals my code. I would then be able to track the person down and then fine him/her or sue.

How big of a code are you talking?

 

[tittat]

Are you talking about something like copyscape?
www.copyscape.com

 

[TheMan177]

Are you talking about something like copyscape?
www.copyscape.com

This is pretty interesting, I wonder how well it works.

 

[kkenny]

Doesn't work really well in my opinion. If a plagarizer really wanted to destroy the main purpose of this site, they would just have to put your site into that page 10 times every month.

 

[xmakina]

In short there isn't, BUT if most of the code is PHP then the end user will never see it anyway

 

[mattura]

You can track your visitors though.
If you suspect the script has been stolen, you can see who viewed your site recently, what browser they had, which pages they viewed, where they came from, how long they spent there etc.
This would not constitute proof, but at least you would know

 

[xmakina]

I disagree. Pretty strongly at that. Most script won't be stolen until it's popular and even after that it may take several days or even weeks to leak to the internet.

You'd have IP addresses of your visitors, sure, but that wouldn't be the slightest bit of help unless you go all Stalin and purge everyone who'd visited the site in the last week or so :/

 

[mattura]

Point well made. You probably wouldn't find out who stole your script.

There are some exceptions though - if you require users to log in (before they get access to the script), and get their personal details when they register. It is likely that the person who stole your script will want to advertise it widely (or nobody will have the benefits!), so you should have a clue. But you have to put in a hell of a lot of effort and it's just not worth it.

Write the important innovations in php so that nobody sees it. They can see the effect, and write their own code, but they cannot steal it.

If you are trying to protect a javascript, I can guarantee that somebody has already written something better. So it's not worth it.

 

[kkenny]

Point well made. You probably wouldn't find out who stole your script.

There are some exceptions though - if you require users to log in (before they get access to the script), and get their personal details when they register. It is likely that the person who stole your script will want to advertise it widely (or nobody will have the benefits!), so you should have a clue. But you have to put in a hell of a lot of effort and it's just not worth it.

Write the important innovations in php so that nobody sees it. They can see the effect, and write their own code, but they cannot steal it.

If you are trying to protect a javascript, I can guarantee that somebody has already written something better. So it's not worth it.

To add on to this.
Anything client side (swf, html, xhtml, dhtml, jhtml, css, javascript, etc.,) is possible to steal, but their wouldn't be a point because usually their is something that is one step better, or one step more.

It is impossible to steal server based scripts, or steal a layout from a cms, or steal any php script a person may have because they never see the code to generate the page, they just get the end result. And usually it's near impossible to work backwords than fowards.

 

[tittat]

Doesn't work really well in my opinion. If a plagarizer really wanted to destroy the main purpose of this site, they would just have to put your site into that page 10 times every month.

Sorry but i didn't get what you exactly mean... can you please explain??

 

[xmakina]

Sorry but i didn't get what you exactly mean... can you please explain??

There's a limit on the number of searches that can be run against a specific website. Try looking for www.google.com.

 

[kkenny]

There's a limit on the number of searches that can be run against a specific website. Try looking for www.google.com.

Yep, if the copier submitted your site 10 times to the thing, you could never really use it to check your site.