ID:1763110
 
Ok, so before I even start this.Please know that I am a BIG NOOB when it comes to anything related to the webclient,HTML, or whatever is in this domain.

I've been messaged by someone. (Won't say name) and he asked me to take off the webclient mode in my game to prevent the icons from being stolen.

When I asked how it was possible, he simply said, theres a hack atm with the webclient feature that allows people using a ''Proxy Debugging program'' to extract the icons.

I have absolutely no idea what all this is about but I was simply wondering if this was true/possible. Again, I'm a complete noob when it comes to all this stuff so bare with me if I'm saying non-sence (actually, what he said :P )

Thanks.
I wouldn't worry about it, regardless of whether or not this "hack" exists. By simply being able to play your game, anyone dedicated enough could steal your artwork by just taking a bunch of screenshots or using screen recording software. It's pointless to waste time and effort to try to prevent it.
Yes completely true but when you've payed for some the art, its somehow disapointing to know others can have it in such an ''easy way''... My next question would be, would such a hack lead to a possible extraction of codes?
In response to Kidpaddle45
Kidpaddle45 wrote:
Yes completely true but when you've payed for some the art, its somehow disapointing to know others can have it in such an ''easy way''...

I mean, it still is your art—regardless of how they obtained it, they only have the right to use it if the creator of the art and/or other people who own the copyright to that work allow them to do so. If someone is using your art without your permission (and the usage doesn't fall under Fair Use), then you have every right to seek legal action (DMCA notice, etc).
In the case of the web client, they probably go into their browser cache and grab the images.

EDIT: I got beat. By a lot.
It's not really a hack, as the webclient caches all resources in the browser to avoid having to redownload. We could encrypt them like we do in DS, but as we plan to open-source this part at least, that would be fruitless. I would recommend you take LordAndrew's advice and don't worry about it.
One key, Print Screen.

If you're so worried about your art, don't release your game onto the open internet.

The request from unnamed person is absolutely ridiculous..
You don't even need to print screen, you can directly intercept / see the resources as they're being loaded by the webclient.

http://puu.sh/ezQn9/6c223e7d15.png
In response to Doohl
Doohl wrote:
You don't even need to print screen, you can directly intercept / see the resources as they're being loaded by the webclient.

http://puu.sh/ezQn9/6c223e7d15.png

Like I said, don't want your art stolen or used without your knowledge .. don't make your art freely available on the internet, keep it on your hard drive.. Even then it's not safe.
In response to A.T.H.K
A.T.H.K wrote:
Doohl wrote:
You don't even need to print screen, you can directly intercept / see the resources as they're being loaded by the webclient.

http://puu.sh/ezQn9/6c223e7d15.png

Like I said, don't want your art stolen or used without your knowledge .. don't make your art freely available on the internet, keep it on your hard drive.. Even then it's not safe.

Sad truth!
It would be interesting if there was a procedural watermarking feature. Maybe something were you could customize the water mark and it would be applied when in cache and removed during rendering?
In response to Sir Quizalot
Sir Quizalot wrote:
It would be interesting if there was a procedural watermarking feature. Maybe something were you could customize the water mark and it would be applied when in cache and removed during rendering?

Interesting idea. Still, if people really want your art they'll get it. Just takes longer.
Not if your serious about hiding it. I guess it would depend on the time, and resources you have to protecting it as well. E.g. Highest point I can think of is an setup which disables screenshot features during gameplay and an advance algorithm which prevents manual cameras from seeing the image as is - a muddling effect, again though that's if your real about it.
In response to Sir Quizalot
Sir Quizalot wrote:
Not if your serious about hiding it. I guess it would depend on the time, and resources you have to protecting it as well. E.g. Highest point I can think of is an setup which disables screenshot features during gameplay and an advance algorithm which prevents manual cameras from seeing the image as is - a muddling effect, again though that's if your real about it.

Anything that can be seen by the human eye can be seen by a program and therefore can be copied. Complete foolproof copy protection of icons is impossible. Even relatively effective protection is impossible; there is simply no reliable method to keep a visible image from being copied.

Disabling screenshots is something you can attempt in DS, but there are other ways to get screenshots--including those built into the OS--that you can't block. Anything that would mess with a camera would mess with the human eye, too. On the webclient, there's no way at all to prevent screenshots.

Watermarking is indeed an interesting idea, but the concept of a watermark is that it can't be removed. Something that alters the image but is reversible is not a watermark; it's just a form of two-way encryption. And since it would be decoded on the client end, it could be decoded by anyone who copied the relevant Dart/JS code. This would cause slowdowns on both ends, server and client, for no real gain in security.
Do I need to repeat myself?
In response to A.T.H.K
A.T.H.K wrote:
Do I need to repeat myself?

I think people get it now. xD
In response to Lummox JR
With developing technologies, studies, and algorithms. E.g. Someone discovered how to form pictures from a sound recorder that records sound and generates images of things in the room- it is certainly possible. Maybe now maybe not now because I don't know what is available as I don't care to protect image assets as it only makes my game more popular if people try to use mine. Eventually what I described will be possible and done by someone who actually needs it, probably the government for some endeavor that requires invisibility to cameras. The human eye and the camera lens are worlds apart. Unless the suggestion is mankind has discovered everything about the human eye. In which case, you're wrong. Everything has layers, layers of security, layers of exploitation, and layers of undiscovered things. Possible is not a word that should be thrown around in confidence, unless by God's ordainment, from what I know it shouldn't be a problem with him.

As for watermarking I wouldn't know about that unless I had access to the source code, there is never just one path to a goal.
In response to Sir Quizalot
Sir Quizalot wrote:
With developing technologies, studies, and algorithms. E.g. Someone discovered how to form pictures from a sound recorder that records sound and generates images of things in the room- it is certainly possible.

What you just described is the exact opposite of protection. Uncovering hidden information is much easier than obscuring information, because that's how it works.

Protecting information from copying is, information and security theory tell us, an impossible goal that you can only ever approach, never reach, and with diminishing returns the more effort you put into it.
In response to Lummox JR
Lummox JR wrote:

What you just described is the exact opposite of protection. Uncovering hidden information is much easier than obscuring information, because that's how it works.

Protecting information from copying is, information and security theory tell us, an impossible goal that you can only ever approach, never reach, and with diminishing returns the more effort you put into it.

What I described is advancement in technologies and is only meant to serve as an example to that effect.

Yep if you don't improve/keep moving forward you are sure to decay, if you want to stay top don't decay. This includes effort- your effort level must improve/adapt or your result will be worth less as the world around you grows.


OP's topic is answered. It is possible to have assets extracted.
Thank you all.
Topic can be closed unless more relevant information or updates on this matter are brought up.