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Topic: Preventing download of audio file? (Read 6527 times) previous topic - next topic

Preventing download of audio file?

Offhand, do any of you know how I could put a sound file (MP3 or other audio format) on my web page, so that users can play the sound, but NOT download and save the sound file? That is, I want to prevent unauthorized re-distribution.

I am looking for something simple that can be encoded in the HTML, maybe with Javascript, but not a fancy Java or CGI solution. I am not worried about stopping determined hackers, merely preventing the casual user from using no-brainer methods of saving a file.

Re: Preventing download of audio file?

Reply #1 –
I believe the <EMBED> tag might offer some protection against direct downloading.

That being said, it doesn't take much chutzpah to open your wav recorder while playing the streaming file. (I've done that myself, I'm almost ashamed to admit. However, it was in the interest of "research.") ;-)

Fred

Re: Preventing download of audio file?

Reply #2 –
I'll give it a try. I'm not worried about an informed user making use of auxiliary software or devices, just mom-and-pop. Here's why: I was thinking of recording a song with obvious political content, then posting it on my web site. It may or may not be "fair use" if not for profit, but I may try to secure the necessary permissions. In any case, the lyrics alone seem to fit under the "fair use" doctrine.

Here are the lyrics. Caution: Not for everybody. They can be sung to the tune of "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" if you remember that one:

http://www.icogitate.com/~ergosum/satire/mwsobl-entrance.htm

This is "The Man Who Shot Osama bin Laden" and it's quite funny, if I do say so myself.

Re: Preventing download of audio file?

Reply #3 –
Yes, it is very funny.

Re: Preventing download of audio file?

Reply #4 –
I don't think that tag offers much protection. The user could easily view the source and plug in the path to the song. IMHO a casual user could do that.

Re: Preventing download of audio file?

Reply #5 –
Fred wrote in https://forum.noteworthycomposer.com/?topic=2004.msg10995#msg10995:
> That being said, it doesn't take much chutzpah to open your wav recorder while playing the streaming file

That's my weekly work. Mappings, BBC 3, Naxos... I record in 48 KHz. 16 bit stereo, 188 KB/sec. and encode using lame/variable bitrate - high quality, with the min. of 256 bitrate, 48 KHz. Stereo.

I'm sure that maintainers of those online music services know this way, too.

Re: Preventing download of audio file?

Reply #7 –
Well, I'd like to have to original version of the lyrics either, btw. Do you know where one can find them ? Idem for "Hurricane" song of Bob Dylan?

Otherwise, I wonder which nation you're talking about ("From out of the west, a nation came, the future in its sight"), unless you're talking about a *certain* vision of the future. It reminds me of the 'AEIOU' motto of old Austria (but there "Austria" should be replaced with a part of America).

IMHO, the worst thing that could arrive to O. BL would be to be judged in the La Haye international trial.

Finally, to protect your sound file, you could try to open the embedding HTML file in a new window (target="_blank, you know) with options that removes the icons and menus (so one can't click on "view source"; and adding a javascript that react on each "righ-click" event (to prevent pop-up menu). I'm sorry I don't have in mind the exact scripts; but you can easily find this in a javascript reference, for both.

HTH!

Re: Preventing download of audio file?

Reply #8 –
just wanted to add that one mustn't see any relation or resemblance between "Hurricane" and O.BL!!!

And if you wanna make fun of such situations, I prefer that kind of humour ...

Re: Preventing download of audio file?

Reply #9 –
Tried to remind of JavaScript. If I remind well, here is how to make the window alone:
<A HREF="javascript:void(0)" onClick="ProtectedWindow = window.open('theguywho.html','song','width=325,height=330, status=yes, directories=no, toolbar=no, location=no, menubar=no,scrollbars=no, resizable=no');" >Your window without scrollbars nor menu</A>

You may omit parameters, but only starting by the last ones (default values are "NO").

For right-click, the following source should help (look at it here :
---8<----
<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>no right click</TITLE>
<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript1.3">
function yaunclick() {
alert('Sorry, you do not need this :)');
}
function noclick(scx) {
if (("Netscape" == navigator.appName) && (3 == scx.which)) {
yaunclick(); return false;
}
if (( -1 != navigator.appVersion.indexOf("MSIE")) && (2 == event.button)) {
yaunclick(); return false;
}
}
document.onmousedown = noclick
</SCRIPT>
</HEAD><BODY><PRE><B>
Essayez de cliquez droit !
<HR width="75%">
Try to do a right click!
</B></PRE></BODY></HTML>
---8<----

HTH either!

Re: Preventing download of audio file?

Reply #10 –
Recently prs.net has done something similar to its entire site, you could ask to the webadmin to help you.

Re: Preventing download of audio file?

Reply #11 –
Thanks, I'll look into those possibilities. Again, I do not need high security. But many items on my web site are completely free and redistributable. Since my "song" is a derivative of someone else's work, I want to make it clear that this one is NOT redistributable (or commercially playable) by erecting some sort of barrier. Users who surmount the barrier would do so in full knowledge that they are cheating.

It's always possible to play audio, then record it from the speakers using an ordinary analog tape recorder.

Marsu: I liked the fake movie posters, especially "Turbinator." The lyrics (not sheet music) to the original "Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" are posted on the Internet and can be found using Yahoo. I don't recall the URL but it is not hard to find. Other than the title, keywords might be "Gene Pitney" (who recorded it). Keep in mind that the original is from an American cowboy movie. It would lose its impact if I made the revised lyrics too multi-national. To put that another way, there's no "Jean Wayne." But I may change the lyrics from "American troops," only because it doesn't sound harmonious. "George Dubya Bush" sounds better, but I probably won't use it.

Re: Preventing download of audio file?

Reply #12 –
No need to release the left button indeed.
One could do this instead :
---8<---
<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>no right click</TITLE>
<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript1.3">
function yaunclick(action) {
alert('Sorry, you do not need this ('+action+') :^)');
}
function noclick(scx) {
if (("Netscape" == navigator.appName) && (3 == scx.which)) {
yaunclick(scx.which); return false;
}
if (( -1 != navigator.appVersion.indexOf("MSIE")) && ((1 == event.button)||(2 == event.button)||(3 == event.button))) {
yaunclick(event.button); return false;
}
}
document.onmousedown = noclick;
</SCRIPT>
</HEAD><BODY><PRE><B>
Essayez de cliquez droit !
<HR width="75%">
Try to do a right click !
</B></PRE></BODY></HTML>
---8<---
but there still are ways to hack this:
either with left+right mouse down (closing the alert window with SPACE or ENTER, NOT with the mouse) and then releasing the right button; or, even simpler for those who have a "Win95 compatible keyboard", using the right-click key (on the left of right Control key) ... :)
'Tis Windows which is hacked!

Oh, a much simpler way to write the script over here:
---8<---
<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>no right click</TITLE>
<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript1.3">
function noclick() {
alert('Sorry, you do not need this :^P');
}
document.onmousedown = noclick;
</SCRIPT>
</HEAD><BODY><PRE><B>
Essayez de cliquez droit !
<HR width="75%">
Try to do a right click !
</B></PRE></BODY></HTML>
---8<---

And, finally, there is a way to get the source file in *any* case if your browser is well configured: go and get the file in the cache directory :)
That's the way I sometimes get midi or NWC files :)

a Programmer's Proverb: what someone has done, someone else can undo it...
absolutely no protection is definitely sure. It's just a matter of time or worth the benefits vs efforts!

Re: Preventing download of audio file?

Reply #13 –
Sure you can hack those ways, but what about the obvious: turn javascript off.

Re: Preventing download of audio file?

Reply #14 –
well, if you turn JavaScript off, there is a large amount of web sites you won't be able to see properly.

For safety (and processor perf.) reason, I usually disable Java. Which restricts my web visibility (for ex., http://sodaplay.com (Fred & Andrew, you'll like it!) is not usable without Java.

Disabling JS make a lot of sites unusable.

As disabling auto-loading of images (I used to do it prior than using cable connection) makes your surf go 100 times faster, but nowadays everyone (but NWC, thx to them!) uses "graphics" menu, often omitting the ALT= tag which would make it usable without the pictures...

The same applies for new applications (NWC is an exception here too) : I saw a basic tetris using more than 1 Mb in disk space , whereas I know another one that uses 4 Kb (4096 bytes)... (handy.com is its name)

HTH!