Several clients have asked me if there’s a foolproof way to prevent others from copying photos and other graphics from their websites.

Unfortunately, the answer is no—even if you have a system in place that prevents right-clicking graphics AND you’re encrypting your source code so it can’t be viewed for image links to copy. The extra security might slow down potential thieves, but stealing your graphics is still as easy as doing a screen capture and cropping the resulting file.

If a legally purchased photo is stolen from your site, you are not liable. The thief is. If you’re trying to protect graphics of your own creation, the best way is to add a watermark. Picmarkr lets you upload graphics and watermark them with text or an image for free.