Before all the un-helpful comments come out of the woodwork (i.e. "if you want to protect it, don't upload it") - I get it. The only way to protect it is to not put it out there. Not an option, not helpful. Home security isn't about never allowing someone to break into your home. If they want in, they can cut a hole in the wall if your windows and door are too secure. The idea is to make it harder so the average burglar will move on. That's what I'm looking for here. Make it a pain so the average would-be thief will move on. With that out there here is my situation:
I'm putting the finishing touches on a portfolio site for a photographer. The site is a headless React WP site. I've seen so many "suggestions" for how to protect their copyrighted materials that my head is spinning. "Disable right click." "DON'T disable right click." "Upload only smaller, compressed images." Trust me, I know that a Google search will give tons of answers. Problem is, too many of them are conflicting or generic. I figured I would go to a group of people who are generally more technically savvy, and have probably had to face similar situations.
Here is what I have done so far:
- employed plugins that automatically compress and limit size on uploaded images. This allows the client to upload what they want, and keeps them safe.
- employed plugin that automatically puts copyright info and a QR code onto the image that directs the scanner back to the main page of the site. As the point of the site is to show off the beautiful images, we decided to put them only in the corner, even though covering more of the image would be more effective.
- decided NOT to bother with blocking right click as it's a nuisance at best and is easy to circumvent by users with limited technical knowledge (is this the right call?)
Any other ideas I should entertain?