External linking to Internal Images in HTML - to be DENIED

Software Support
#1

Version:
OJS 2.4.8

Request:
Do you have any advise on how to protect against direct embedding and linking to images in journal HTML published articles of journal? How do we begin?

Background:
Found a forum embedding our URL of an image (published in HTML) on their own website. The effect, our journal site traffic was substantially increased and eventually pulled down. Had to block IP to resolve the matter.

Discussions on how to do this:

Your guidance and advise will be valued.

Blessings, Trudie

#2

Hi @tretief

You may follow instructions from link bellow to avoid hotlink access to your images:

https://mediatemple.net/community/products/dv/204644230/prevent-hotlinking-with-a-htaccess-file

Regards,
Israel Cefrin
Public Knowledge Project Team

#3

Thanks @israel.cefrin - will review and report back. Appreciation for the prompt guidance and assistance. Blessings, Trudie

#4

Hi @israel.cefrin

We applied the fix, and it prevents hotlink access to our public images. Is their any other way that we can block direct linking to images hosted on a journal site (embedded into HTML articles etc)?

Regards, Trudie

#5

Hi @tretief

Preventing hotlink is what you can do in your server to avoid that other site makes direct requests to your server.
But if someone copy and host locally your images there’s nothing you can do to avoid it but only contact this person and ask for credit or to not use according your copyrights licence.

Best,
Israel