Suggestion for all D7 Template Designers

Protect your work. Just a few suggestions.

1. Add EXIF information to a few of your images.  It doesn't have to be added to all of them, but adding this to a few images that are uniquely yours, can help identify a template as your original work if a copy appears in the market.

2. Add some code or CSS that does absolutely nothing.  Most people don't know this, but map makers have been adding non existent streets to maps for years to help identify unauthorized copies.  If you've put a lot of work into the css for your template, why not use this old map maker trick to help identify it as yours?  Add some CSS that does absolutely nothing, but can help identify the css document as a whole, as belonging to you.

While you're at it, why not add some php code or html code that does absolutely nothing?

Those are two things that pop into my head as ways to help identify your work.  If anyone has more ideas, let's hear 'em.

I'm surprised that no one seems to be interested in a topic like this.  I thought it was a good idea.  Adding some extra css rules that do nothing.... add some html/php code to files that does nothing..... add a few language keys that are not assigned to anything... add EXIF info to your custom images.

These are all ways you can secretly 'sign' your work, and just may be all you need to prove the work is originally yours, should a pirated copy be placed in distribution.

I'm seriously looking at IONCube to all my work (even though I don't do templates) but all the other stuff just to protect it.  You want the item?  You need to allow us to verify it's a legitimate copy.  Shane Campbell did this with alot of his stuff and it worked up to a point.

Another trick is to drop the php code for "Hello World" only using your logo text for it on a looped repeat and then set the font-color to be drawn from the back ground color.  Only pops up when someone does a left click drag down the entire template.  Then what do they see?  Why it's your own logo text all over the place.  Works really great though Google does hate it when you hide text by matching the colors to the background.

Agreed... Ioncube is a great product.for protecting code, and any decent hosting provider will accommodate ioncube encode scripts by default or if you ask them.   I'm not sure about background text all over the place.... that would be too obvious.  I don't think you'd want to do something that's too easy to detect.

To obvious?  yes... But annoying to have to go take it out none the less.  Of course, then we can run a check later in the script for it and if it's not there set something else to echo like crazy.  Then run a check that the first check is running and if it's been deleted remove that.  This could get to be real fun.

IONCube is the best soluiton overall.