I've seen at least one application (I believe it's Photoshop) that
names the ability to add a copyright note to a file as 'watermarking'.
Not sure however if this is a universal term.

But... I have some Flash files which present large amounts of text and
audio data. These are for a learning application, and will be
available for download over the internet. However they required a
large amount of effort to create, and I'd hate to see them re-used by
others without getting any credit as the originator.

I'm curious if there is any way to mark the swf files as proprietary
information.  When I right click a swf and go to 'properties' I don't
see any mention of 'proprietary' or 'not proprietary'. Is there a way
to mark them as such?

Thank you,
Patrice

Hey, 'cause there is no way to become a researcher, here is the answer:

Simply add these lines to your code:

<code>

var watermarkText:String = "Proprietary";
var infoURL:String = "http://my.url.com";

var context:ContextMenu = new ContextMenu();
var watermark:ContextMenuItem = new ContextMenuItem(watermarkText, showInfo);
context.customItems.push(menuItem_cmi);
_root.menu = context;
function showInfo() { getUrl(infoURL, "_blank") }
this.menu = watermark;

</code>

Thanks aemkei!  I'll try this out.
Not sure I know where to put this code, but I'll look around.

Thanks again,
Patrice

The unique feature about Flash .swf files is that everything is
embedded.  Infringement is difficult. Not impossible; but it's
difficult work even for a pro hacker.  .SWF is the strongest deterrent
you'll find. I'd suggest just placing your © notice prominently with
contact info. This enough to convey your infringment concerns.  You
can always create a popup window for your .SWF files that address your
"proprietary" message.

Yes Smitty,
But couldn't someone just alter the html document to resize the
display window and effectively crop out the proprietary note?  Or in
other words, limit the display so the entire swf file isn't shown?

Thanks for your help.
Patrice