Protecting my videos?

I don't know if this is possible, but fingers crossed it is.

I want to create some tutorial videos for an SL tool that lots of people seem to be having issues with and due to lack of documentation, the product isn't getting the best reviews. However, I want some way to protect them, so that when someone buys them, they can't just copy and resell the content themselves.

I was wondering if there is anyway that you can stream to a hud so that only the user can see the video, but no one else can? That way, the script can hide the video URL and that way (in theory and if I'm thinking right) they would be protected as much as they could be.

I'm also looking for other ideas on achieving this type of protection, so please if you have any idea, feel free to let me know

The whole scripting side of SL is totally new to me, so I would like to thank anyone in advance who can help.

Paul

I guess it's possible to display a video on a HUD (not quite sure though, never tried it), but in SL, media are generally not streamed to individual avatars, but to parcels of land. That's why a HUD for videos doesn't make a lot of sense. Anyone will be able to play your videos only on their own land or on parcels where they are able to set the About Land options.

Possible solution for you: Sell your video with a no copy custom display. I don't know enough about LSL-internet interactions, but I think it should be possible to have the script generate a random password upon rezzing of the display and submit that password to a php script or something on your web space which then sets up a login for that password. The user doesn't get to see the password, it's just used internally for logging in the display to your video site when they hit the start button. Then make the display operable by owner only, and only owners of the display can play your video. You still can't keep them from showing it to their friends, but I think that's as much protection as you can get. (Unless you skip the whole in-world and LSL part and sell just the passwords so people watch the video directly on the web. Then again, in that case you can't keep them from passing on the passwords.)

Hope I don't give the wrong answer here...

You can play individual Video-streams to agents, using the llParcelMediaCommandList([])-Command...

llParcelMediaCommandList([PARCEL_MEDIA_COMMAND_AGENT, KeyOfAgent, PARCEL_MEDIA_COMMAND_URL, "http://www.myserver.com/myVid.mov", PARCEL_MEDIA_COMMAND_PLAY]);

That way, only the specified agent (KeyOfAgent) will see this video...

You need to have rights to change the land-media info, though (or at least, the object containing this command needs them), otherwise it won't work (so - on group-owned land, you need to deed the object to the group).

I guess, technically you could stream to a hud as well, but you still need the right to change the video-stream of the land...

AND: be aware that with a network-traffic-sniffer, everyone can extract the video-url. That's because the video (and sound as well) isn't played in SL. SL just acts as a «connector» - the video will then be played locally on the clients computer using the QuickTime plugin...

Cool thank you very much for your help guys

What mysterious Tool could it be , that you have to protect the Video instructions ?
Is it not enough to protect your Tool ? And why dont you just upload it to eg. youtube ?

There, these videos could be of Dual Use -- to help existing customers and ...
attract potential new customers (.. hey look i have also video instructions for
my tool.. bla bla ... )

just curious !