How to prevent users from downloading video from RISE courses

Jun 07, 2018

I'd like to use RISE to deliver a set of  videos. However, users can right click and download the video - even when the course is housed within our LMS. Is there a way to prevent this from happening?

This problem does not exist with other videos that are in the LMS but use the LMS player. Instead, a message appears on right click. Powered by JW player 8.0.0. 

Note: I am using the most recent version of Google Chrome but get different results if using the RISE player or the LMS player. 

33 Replies
Alyssa Gomez

Hi Catherine!

If you're looking for an additional layer of copy protection on your videos, I'd recommend uploading them to YouTube, Vimeo, or any other supported content provider, then embedding the videos into Rise from there.

Here's a great example of a course with lots of embedded video, all of which is copy protected by YouTube.

We're tracking the request for additional copy protection in Rise, so we'd love it if you'd click here and tell us more about your need for this feature!

Alyssa Gomez

Great question, Karen.

When you upload a video to YouTube, viewers cannot right-click the video to download it. You can also prevent viewers from embedding the video by disabling the "allow embedding" option under Advanced Settings shown here. 

Can you tell me more about your needs for protecting videos in Rise? Do you want to prevent learners from also grabbing the YouTube link and sharing it with others? If so, a video embedded in a Storyline Block might be the perfect solution. 

Once I know more about what you had in mind, I can point you in the right direction!

Alyssa Gomez

Hi there Doug! Thanks so much for adding your voice. Are you also looking to prevent videos from being downloaded from your Rise courses? If so, I shared some steps you can take to lock down your videos in this post. 

If you had something else in mind, let me know! We always appreciate hearing how we can make Rise work better for our customers. 

Catherine Conley

Hi Doug, 

I had to discontinue using Rise due to this same issue. I submitted a feature request about 5 months ago but there has been no update. Please submit a feature request so Articulate understands the seriousness of this shortcoming. The only work arounds are to post your video elsewhere and link to it or create the video in Storyline 360 and then import the Storyline into Rise. Both options defeat the purpose of using Rise as it makes the process so complicated and you have to maintain content in multiple locations. Using a player in Rise that does not allow downloading etc.. seems simple enough - not sure why Articulate won't make this change. 

If you hear anything new, please post it here. I would love to use Rise again. 

Best of luck,

Cathy

Ashley Terwilliger-Pollard

Hi Cathy and Doug,

We've yet to add this to Rise as it's built-in functionality of most browsers to allow a user to download a video.

The discussion you linked to Doug also provides a lot of background on how a determined learner will still find a way to copy, record, or download the content. So you may also want to look at options within your company to copyright content or have your learners sign non-disclosures or confirm they won't share or download the content. 

We'll keep you posted here if anything changes on our end about this setup! 

Doug Doyle

Thanks Ashley,

I just wanted a deterrent. I understand it's not copy proof. I know if someone really wanted to copy our content, they could. If this happens, we'll deal with it then. By making it harder however, we avoid 'average Joe' from thinking about it!

By the way Cathy, I tested the video. The code snippet works for these too. I would encourage further testing however, such as LMS reporting, etc.

Doug

Rodger Ling

So, working on my first Rise project and sure enough, I've been asked to make it more difficult (I know it's never going to be impossible) for our clients to download the videos.  There ought to be an option to disable right-click to download.

Our faculty work many hours developing instructional videos and don't like the idea that someone could download those for use in their own courses.  Very likely we would never know if that kind of intellectual theft had occurred because those stolen videos could well be hosted within another LMS, well out of our sight and access. 

Steve Bunce

Hi Alyssa,

We would greatly benefit from this feature. With no download containment feature, we are placed in a very vulnerable and unacceptable position. I look forward to a quick turnaround feature implementation. I am sure it must be painful to direct users to a third party company that should/ought handled from within.   

Damodharan Panneerselvam

Hi, There is a possibility to download the video even uploaded from Vimeo or youtube. I have deeply tested will all other options. "If you could add a toggle button in settings [Articulate Rise & Storyline 360 ] to Disable Right-click | Ctrl + U | Ctrl + Shift + I | F12 Function key that would enable to prevent easy access to find links from developer tools, inspect or page source whatever". I understand tech-savvy can bypass any restriction but it shouldn't be easy access to all. Most of the videos on youtube I have found how to download restricted videos or bypass them. Hope to work on a way around. It may not be difficult for developers to provide this feature request. I have bought a licence but bit disappointed can find a way around on this.

Damodharan Panneerselvam

Hi, There is a possibility to download the video even uploaded from Vimeo or youtube. I have deeply tested will all other options. "If you could add a toggle button in settings [Articulate Rise & Storyline 360 ] to Disable Right-click | Ctrl + U | Ctrl + Shift + I | F12 Function key that would enable to prevent easy access to find links from developer tools, inspect or page source whatever". I understand tech-savvy can bypass any restriction but it shouldn't be easy access to all. Most of the videos on youtube I have found how to download restricted videos or bypass them. Hope to work on a way around. It may not be difficult for developers to provide this feature request. I have bought a licence but bit disappointed can find a way around on this.

Kevin Clemence

Greetings Alyssa, 

Thanks for updating the community regarding this feature update to Rise. Unfortunately by blocking the ability to right click and grab the direct video URL I am now prevented from maintaining the video portal I have created for my company. In the past I have grabbed the direct video URL link from Rise and distributed that via multiple forms of communication. Without this ability, I can only send learners to the rise course the video is embedded within, causing them to have to click on multiple screens to navigate to the video content. Is there a way for me to get to the direct URL anymore? If not, can you allow training developers to toggle "Allow users to download?" since there are use cases where this is desirable?

Thanks much!

Kevin