Boxed items-please verify my logic.

I am slowly getting to the point where I can create items for sale. Now I want to give my customers the most practical deal in terms of usability, without having to worry about one or two unscrupulous ones stabbing me in the back.
My plan is to be able to sell the items boxed, and make the boxed version transferable and no-copy, so if they would like to they can safely gift it to someone, but to make the contents copy and no transfer so once the person that's actually suppose to have the item gets it they can make copies if need be to avoid accidental loss (we've all been there once ). Is this logic correct? Or because the contents are copy, will the initial owner be able to take items out and then transfer the box to a new owner, only to have them take a copy and do the same?

Also, when it comes to modification, I want my customers to be able to modify the items for best fit, but I don't necessarily want the textures I have worked hard on simply getting ripped out and used on another item and then resold-how do I avoid that?

Finally, on a less practical note, I'd like the boxes to look decent. I want someone to be able to gift something in a nice looking container so I am doing a branded ribbon-wrapped box texture. How do people feel about boxes where they can't see what it contains? Obviously the vendor will have an image of the product on it.

Thanks.

If you put copyable, no transfer contents inside a container that's transferable, but non-copyable, you get a non-transferable, non copyable box with non-transferable, copyable contents.

I think one of the vendor systems might be a better option- or setting up on one of the shopping websites and suggesting people use those (where one can pay, but specify a different recipient).

The asset keys of any texture can be acquired through the regular client, though LSL scripts will only (I think) work with keys for textures that are full permissions.

People can't ordinarily take the texture off a prim, for example- there is no texture file there.

I mean there are ways, but no details. So using a no-mod set texture might help stop it's key being passed by LSL scripts. I actually had this problem in reverse- trying to send window texture keys for my tint system from no-transfer window textures, and the keys were invalidated.

What you want to do is called a Gift Certificate or Voucher system.

You script a prim with a picture of the purchased item on the prim, or at least the name of the item. it does NOT contain the merchandise. When the box with the script in it is rezzed, they get a notecard indicating that they have two choices. They can take it back into inventory, un-opened, and it remains transferrable. Or they can activate the certificate with a command and they are sent the merchandise from a server, while the original certificate becomes unusable for creating more copies. It either self-deletes of indicates it may now be safely deleted. While un-opened, the voucher can be handed off as much as you like. It's no-copy/no-mod/transfer-OK.

These systems require a server somewhere, that actually contains the merchandise, with the copy/no-transfer next owner permissions.

I'll recommend asking for help on the scripting forum to get details on how to do this. I have bought from several merchants who use this type of system, like House of Zen, in the Hinode Shima sim. But I don't know the full coding details.

Ok, so a container basically takes on the securest combination of it's own set rights and those of it's contents? I take it this holds true for compound objects and their linked parts and/or contents as well?

I will be using a vendor (I spent some time earlier evaluating some freebie ones ), but for the sake of 'direct' gift giving I would like to be able to make boxed items transferrable. I suppose based on the above though there is no truly 'secure' way to do this though. I'll have to just go for trans/no copy on the box and items.

I think what you're describing is the "Tringo trick" or "cascaded perms trick". The way you do it is:

- Create a box.
- Put some no-transfer, copy-ok, items into the box.
- Pick up the box (which will show in inventory as next owner: no-transfer, copy-ok)
- Without rezzing the box, open the box's properties page from inventory, and change its permissions to next owner: no-copy, transfer-ok.

The idea is that SL does set the permissions of a container based on its contents, but if the container is not rezzed, SL doesn't consider its contents. So the result is a box that's no-copy transfer-ok until it is rezzed, whereupon SL remembers about the items inside it and copies their permissions to the container, so the box becomes no-transfer no-copy until the items are taken out of it.

It's a perfectly possible trick, I know of several things that use it; but it seems a bit like a bug to me, and I'd be reluctant to trust it with anything valuable..

I agree, I wouldn't want to trust that sort of thing to a potential bug. I think i'll just go for the trans/no copy option.

Thanks for the feedback and help all, I really appreciate it

[Edit]
Ceera, I just saw your reply now. That is a viable alternative as well. For now I'm sticking to simple non-networked vendors, so I'm not going to look into it, but in future it'll definitely be helpful, thanks very much
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