Picture Hijacks

Everything to do with using your own website to advertise your rental property. Design, usability, hosting, getting listed on the search engines, optimising your site, pay-per-click, etc, etc.
User avatar
kevsboredagain
Posts: 3207
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 9:32 am
Location: France
Contact:

Post by kevsboredagain »

I certainly wouldn't complain at something like that. The link will only be of benefit to you and do absolutely no harm to your business. Think of it as free but indirect advertising. Sure you can do things to prevent it but then the only benefit of that would be to your pride.

It's a stupid thing to do though as links are not fixed. I make no comment as to whether it's right or wrong because I don't know the law.
User avatar
DaveT
Posts: 50
Joined: Wed Aug 12, 2015 7:18 am

Post by DaveT »

This is the code I usually use..

Code: Select all

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
# Anti-hotlinking
RewriteCond %&#123;HTTP_REFERER&#125; !^http&#58;//&#40;.+\.&#41;?mydomain\.com/ &#91;NC&#93;
RewriteCond %&#123;HTTP_REFERER&#125; !^$
RewriteRule .*\.&#40;jpe?g|gif|webp|png|&#41;$ - &#91;F&#93;
</IfModule>
This blocks any reqest for image files that have a 'referer' that is not from your own domain. There are other ways to do it but I find this is quick and easy. Some of the code might already be in your .htaccess file. If so, you don't need to duplicate them. It is just the two lines after '# Anti-hotlinking' that you need to add.

I'm not sure how it works with Pinterest. I'd advise testing it. If it causes problems it would be easy enough to put an extra line of code in to specifically allow Pinterest.
Joanna
Posts: 1091
Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2007 3:12 pm
Location: Chester, North West England & Sidmouth, East Devon
Contact:

Post by Joanna »

DaveT - Thanks for the code, I might try that.

Kev - The images don't automatically link back to the original website so it's only free advertising if the originator is on the ball enough to spot it and savvy enough change the image.

I must admit to having only checked for hijacked text and images about twice in 10 years. It's one of those tasks that's very easy to forget about, which I suppose enables the hijackers to get away with it (or carry on blissfully unaware of what they or their web designer has done).

I'm pretty sure that, unless the image owner has given permission, then copyright law is being infringed because the hijacker is giving the impression that the image is theirs.
Jo

Joint owner of Baker's Cottage in Chester & Chandler's Cottage in Sidmouth
User avatar
kevsboredagain
Posts: 3207
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 9:32 am
Location: France
Contact:

Post by kevsboredagain »

The links are in the URL of the image. Any reference to another site is viewed by search engines as a vote for that site. Unless of course it starts to look like spam, for example a lmh signature.
Essar
Posts: 3243
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 5:24 pm
Location: Bournemouth
Contact:

Post by Essar »

I just love this forum - the stuff you get to know - even if it makes no sense to me! :D
"Write something, even if it's just a suicide note"
"There is no human problem which could not be solved if people would simply do as I advise"
"As for my amnesia, I've had it as long as I can remember"
Real name: Steve
Gender: Male
Post Reply