Don't disable right click

Protecting your content and code is important. After working hard on a design, image or article you may want to protect it by using JavaScript that disables right-click while optionally warning a visitor that the content is copyrighted.

It might sound okay, but this isn’t generally a good idea. Let me tell you 'Why not?'

It’s Annoying

You don’t realize just how much you use right-click until you can’t use it! There a lot of useful features in the short menu that it opens up. Although almost all are available in the main browser menu, but it’s often much quicker to use the right-click menu – usually the closest menu you have available.

 It’s Pointless

Think again! - Will disabling right-click will protect your source code or images? Anyone who’s determined to copy your content or code will do so regardless of his or her ability to bring up a browser context menu. If they want your source code then it’s as simple as selecting ‘view source’ from the main menu. Article text can be highlighted and copied, images and media presentations can be retrieved from the cache, and streaming media recorded.

Disabling right-click will only make people more determined to learn exactly what it is you’re hiding. And this could end up being counter-productive, as your images and source code attract unwanted attention. Not only that, on browsers that have JavaScript enabled: a visitor only has to turn off JavaScript in their browser’s options to be able to ignore the script altogether.

It’s Disabling

  

I tend to open any links from a page in a new window from the right-click menu, so that I can read and compare both the pages and return without having to use the back button. While you can open a link in a new window by holding on shift while clicking on it, many find it easy to use the option from the right-click menu. Disable right-click and you will alienate users like me pretty quickly.

It’s Unprofessional

Ask yourself this: would you buy something from a site that reminds you that it’s images are protected by copyright every time you go to use the right-click (even when your pointer is nowhere near an image)? I thought not! Disabling right-click suggests a lack of professionalism to users.

Of course, if you are still stuck on to the idea, there is a much easier way to protect your content from would-be thieves without ever having to disable any browser functions. Want to protect something that badly, don’t put it on the Web in the first place!

Avinash Joshi