Lock my data on internet

[Per69]

Hi
I've just been aware that someone else is using my weatherdata on his own webpage.
He's using live gauges.
I think it's ok to put up a link but using data is trespassing.

Is there any why to lock the data or doing something else to protect my data.

Regards Per

[steve]

Is it the Silverlight real time gauges that they are using, or the older Flash ones?

[Per69]

Hi

It's the flash. Same as the gauges on v1.8.6 at the bottom.

/Per

[steve]

A Flash application shouldn't be able to access data from another domain unless you have a file called crossdomain.xml in the root of your domain which is allowing access. See here for more details: http://www.adobe.com/devnet/articles/cr ... _spec.html

If you don't have that file, then no-one should be able to use your data.

But in any case, the location of the realtime.txt file is built into the CumulusRealtime.swf application, so it can't be changed to use someone else's site anyway. Are you sure someone is using your data in this way?

[Per69]

Oh, I just assumed that it was that way.

I've deleted that file now but it doesn't work so I unchecked the box realtime data.


/Per

[steve]

Oh I see - it's not just the data, it's loading the flash application from your site as well. It's rather like hot linking image files, and I think to stop it you will need to use the same approach, i.e. using your .htaccess file. There's a tutorial on how to do it here http://altlab.com/htaccess_tutorial.html

Note that you will need to add 'swf' to the list of extensions.

Of course, you could just ask them to stop doing it

[Per69]

I haven't got any answer from the owner yet.

/Per

[beteljuice]

I'm a bit confused now !

Per - are you saying that removing the cross domain xml file DID NOT work, but stopping realtime.txt update DID ?

If that is the case, it would suggest that your realtime.txt is being 'stolen', a lot of people are unwittingly providing data to other collection sites, because (various) formats / locations are predictable.

For example: All those of you who have a 'banner' are advertising either a WeatherDisplay or Cumulus 'format', and unless you are competent in re-arrangeing code / permissions it is reasonably easy to take a guess at your data file.

After all this is one of the ways that Steve investigates errors that people report with their sites.

If you are a 'donor' to a weather site, then that too takes a certain name and can be guessed at, especially if you have already told everybody proudly what your kit / software is.

If you are sure that your data is being lifted without your consent, then send a 'cease and desist' mail to the offender with the possibility of mentioning breach of copyright to their service provider.

[steve]

I'm a bit confused now !

Per - are you saying that removing the cross domain xml file DID NOT work, but stopping realtime.txt update DID ?

If that is the case, it would suggest that your realtime.txt is being 'stolen'

I was a bit confused too, I didn't really understand what file he had deleted. But anyway, what you may not have seen was some html he posted, presumably taken from the offending web site, which apparently showed that the offender was embedding Per's flash gauges in their own site. The line which normally looks like this:

<param name="movie" value="CumulusRealtime.swf" />

had been changed to use the full URL of Per's file. So the cross-domain blocking isn't relevant as the Flash is still being hosted on Per's site. I think the only way to block this form of "hotlinking" is to use the .htaccess file.

[Per69]

Hi again

Yes Beteljuice, I showed Steve the code for a moment.
Sorry, I didn't want to have it on the forum.
But I copyrighted the pages now. I just had the index page copyrighted before.
Is it enough just to have the symbol (c) on the page or do you have to register it somewhere?

Steve, I tried the .htaccess file but it didn't work.
I got some help from a programmer friend with the swf part so the file is right.
I have to ask my serverowner if he support .htaccess.
My programmer friend says that it's used mostly on linux servers and so on.

Thanks
/Per

[beteljuice]

Would removing 'world' read access work ? (server file permissions)

[steve]

Would removing 'world' read access work ? (server file permissions)

I don't think there's anything as simple as that which works and still allows 'normal' web access.

Per - I hadn't spotted that you are using IIS. To use this method with that you need a (free) addon:

http://www.codeplex.com/IIRF

There's a useful tutorial on using it for this purpose here:

http://blog.evolvedsoftwarestudios.com/ ... in-iis-60/

Could you send me a link to the offending site by Private Message, please?

[Per69]

I just got the message from my sitehost who tells me that my site is on a windowsbased server and doesn't have support for.htaccess but with no extra charge he can move it to a Linux based server and then it will work.

And I also finally got a message from the "leecher" who has just removed the gauges from his site.

/Per

[beteljuice]

Result

[Per69]

Now I got my data on a Linux server and .htaccess is working fine.

/Per