Q: I'm starting a personal Web site that will include photographs I've taken through the years. I'd like to make it so viewers can't copy or save the photos. I've visited sites where a pop-up will appear saying something like "You are not allowed to copy this" when you right-click and attempt to save an image. How can I enable this feature for my page?
A: You can prevent right-clicking of images by adding a simple piece of code to your Web site, but it's not a foolproof solution. A clever user might be able to extract a photo from a browser's cache or use screen-capture software to save it. Also, the right-click trick may not work if the user has disabled JavaScript in the browser.
A better option would be to watermark your photos with your name, a warning about unauthorized use, or a copyright notice. Watermarks can be placed so they don't interfere with viewing photos, but might dissuade Web site visitors from copying them.
Programs including Photoshop Elements and Paint Shop Pro let you watermark groups of photos. Or, you could use a software program designed for the task, such as Picture-shark (free at picture-shark.com) or Visual Watermark ($34.95 at visualwatermark.com).
By the way, you don't have to register or pay in order to copyright a photo you've taken. Just add a notice that includes the copyright symbol (press the "c" key while holding down the Alt and Ctrl keys).
