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Capture the Right Mouse Click

In order to try and protect valuable HTML source, JavaScript code or copyright protected images, it may be desirable to block a user from pressing the right-mouse button in order to view the source of the page or attempt to save a protected image. It would be näive to think there is a fail-safe method of protecting content published on the internet. The truth is, it is not possible. For starters, the option to "View Source" is available from a menu bar option in any web browser. In addition, pressing the right mouse button will also display an option to "View Source".

There are, however, a few things to make it more difficult for a person to obtain HTML source, JavaScript or images. The first thing would be to display the content in a window with no toolbars or menubars. This may be accomplished by opening the content in a new window using window.open and setting the following properties:

• menubar=no
• toolbar=no

For example:
window.open("", "myWindow", "height=200,width=200,menubar=no,toolbar=no");

The second option would be to use JavaScript to capture the mouse-click event. The following is sample JavaScript code that could be embedded in any page you wish to protect. Click your right mouse button to see the script in action.

<script type="text/javascript">
var msg='Right mouse-click denied';

function _ieclick()
{
  try
  {
    if( event.button==2 ) { alert( msg ); return false; }
  }
  catch( e )
  {
    alert( 'ERROR :: _ieclick()\n\n' + e );
  }
};

function _mozclick( e )
{
  try
  {
    if( document.layers || document.getElementById && !document.all )
    {
      if( e.which==2 || e.which==3 ) 
      {
        alert( msg );
        return false;
      }
    }
  }
  catch( e )
  {
    alert( 'ERROR :: _mozclick()\n\n' + e );
  }
};

if( document.layers )
{
  document.captureEvents( Event.MOUSEDOWN );
  document.onmousedown=_mozclick;
}
else if ( document.all )
{
  document.onmousedown=_ieclick;
}

document.oncontextmenu = new Function( 'alert(msg);return false;' );
</script>
  

It should be noted that this "protection" may be bypassed with the Opera browser or any other browser that is configurable to "disallow right clicks to be received by scripts".