Protect Web Content in Coldfusion

[aitai]

Our website is run on CF7, Windows 2000.

We recently discovered that a clone of our site was made by a competitor using Teleport Pro. I am looking for a method, or application that will protect our content in .cfm pages.

The robot.txt file is ignored by bad spiders, such as Teleport Pro, so this is not an option. We have considered TagsLock Pro by AeroTags; however this seems to be an application for HTML files only (tried contacting the vendor for clarification with no response as yet).

I would greatly appreciate any pointers for methods/applications that will protect our content. Thanks in advance.

[WolfShade]

No matter what method you use to protect content, someone will find a way around it shortly after you put it in place.

Sadly, as far as I know, there is no way to protect content other than to make sure that all copyrighted material is plainly marked with the copyright symbol (if it's not copyrighted or trademarked, you have little legal claim over it); then just keep checking the internet for pirated material from your site.

I once new someone who's ENTIRE website was (like your's?) copied and pasted into a new domain.  But it was not the registered domain owner who did it; it was someone he hired to build a website for him that copied the site and pasted it into another site.  Thankfully, the registered domain owner was a respectable business operator and took the site down immediately as soon as he was notified of the pirated material; not sure if he fired the "developer" who pirated it, or not, but I hope he did and I hope he complained to the BBB about the developer.  (Have you?)

^_^

[ilssac]

As wolfshade said above there is no "real" way to protect a docuement delivered over the internet to a browser.  ColdFusion has nothing to do with this, ColdFusion does not deliver anything directly to the client.  It builds a response, often HTML that is given to a web server.  Then the web server sends this content to the browser.

I have seen many of these 'protection' scams.  Most of of them can be defeated by simply turning off javascript in the browser.  Of the rest I have heard of there are well known hacks that defeat the often costly protection.

It is part and parcel of the digital age.  If it is digital it can be copied and if you have it on the internet it is available for copying..

[aitai]

Thank you all for your responses-much appreciated!.

The details, should you be interested, are at:

http://www.saeculii.com/eng/services/ip-infringement.cfm

We have tried a number of approaches, such as third-party software and "honey pots", and it is as you say-they can all be defeated relatively easily.

This issue has become more urgent recently since the company in question has launched another clone site, possible in our response to our getting the site removed from all major search engines under the DMCA. Obviously, as you can imagine, there really is no end in sight using this method (we get them taken down, they put up another clone under a different domain name, we go through the hoops 'n loops again, etc).

We have also considered legal action; however, many a legal professionals have pointed out that IP infringement cases by non-Chinese firms against Chinese firms in China are rarely successful, if at all.

We have filed for a copyright in the USA. This will, while increasing protection, only be effective in nations where IP (Intellectual Property) is respected. Thus, we are looking for additional technical measures to protect our content.

It is kind of like a catch-22 situation...

(We did try the BBB. It seems though this organization is only for US registered companies a it requires a zip code. In addition, their site throws an error when trying to file a complaint.)

[ilssac]

Sounds like you are in a tough position alright.

Some sugestions that are not full proof, but may help make it a little more difficult.

With ColdFusion it is possilbe to track a user with cookies and IP address.  I have heard of people who will use this capability to make a decision if some system is requestion too many pages too fast.  The idea being that a human will not try to request every page on your site in a very short time.  Then if the system detects this starts putting throttles and|or blocks into place.  I.E.   Don't let that IP|User request another page for 60 seconds or just out and out block the IP for a period of time from a few minutes to hours, days or forever depending on how concerned you are about possible blocking other ligitmate users that may be on the same IP address.

This type of system takes a lot of thought and planning and cutimization but it is possible within the system.

Won't help with copies of the site that have already been created, but may help prevent or at least make more difficlut to get copies of any future site.

[Guest]

I've used the attached script I found awhile back for this purpose (limiting requests per minute). It may help you out. You just need to include it in your Application.cfm/cfc page.

[tclaremont]

The copyright symbol, or lack thereof, does absolutely nothing to protect your content. It is NOT necessary (Note that the fact that it is not necessary does NOT mean that it is not a good idea). Copyright is implied from the moment of creation. This post I just created is copyright by me. Your response is copyright by you.

Basically, if YOU did not create something, or YOU did not get explicit permission to use it from the original owner, then YOU do not have the rights to use it. The concept is trivially simple.

That being said, the copyright symbol is is a way of letting people know that YOU acknowlege YOUR copyright to the work in question.It is akin to a "Beware of Dog" sign. The sign itself is of no real strength or importance, other than to inform OTHERS that you acknowlege your copyright. It implies that you will defend that copyright in the event that it is violated.

So, if you find that someone has copied your work, the fact that you did not have a copyright symbol is of no consequence, and, as you can imagine, it will not stop someone with the ethical nature that would allow themselves to copy someone else's work anyway.

The formal FILING of a copyright is the device used to establish a DATE OF ORIGIN. With this formality in place, you can demonstrate that your document was created BEFORE the other party's, when there may be no other way of proving it. Again, there is no real protection in place. The only time this would come into play is AFTER you sued someone for copyright infringement.

Another way to establish a date of origin is to print a copy of your work, put it in an envelope and MAIL IT to yourself via registered mail. When you receive it, DO NOT OPEN IT. File it away until an argument arises. The post mark on the sealed envelope will help establish a date of origin.