Protecting my css sheets.

[J.C.]

Has anyone thought of a way to stop css theft? I want to protect my sheets. I'm sick and tired of people taking my work instead of putting in the wrench time.

Any ideas?

[David Harrison]

What you could do is write your code and when you get it how you like it, make a back up copy and then remove all of the structure so as to make harder to read, and even through in some dummy rules that will be over-ridden later on:

div#a{display:inline;width:100px;color:#fb7;}
div#b{display:block;position:absolute;top:16px;}

becomes:

#a, #b{

display:block;

display:none;

display:inline;

}


#b{

position:fixed;
position:absolute;

display:block;}


#a{


width:100px;

color:#fb7;}

#b{top:16px;}

This will take some time to encode when you have a lot of style's, but it will take decades to decode.

[nkaisare]

Probably some server-side rule that allows access to the directory containing css file only if its called by another file on your server, not otherwise.

[DaveSW]

There are a few points I would like to add:

1) What's so special about your css that makes everyone want to pinch it?

2) It is possible to encrypt a css file as javascript using the following:
http://www.htmlpassword.com/websp/index.html
however, you are then left in the situation where 13% of your viewers see your pages without style sheets, because the encrypted file has to be saved as a .js file.

Dave

[Robert Wellock]

You are all welcome to steal all my CSS but if you don't give me credit, or decide to do a full ripping-off I'll set Cerberus onto you.

[DaveSW]

LOL. emmm, I wonder if any of the hacks I use originated with you... LOL