Tony Hsaly makes excellent points. I agese but comment as follows:
1. Copyright protection is inadequate. It is, at the moment,
all we have so use it.
2. While weak protection, Tony's peoposal protects the innocent by requiring
deliberate actions. So does a registered copyright. The advantage
of the technical solution is that it requires no paperwork, no fees,
and still works with or without registration. Both courses are advised
where legal action is merited based on risk. Copyright locking must
be an option on the editor, not the browser. Some work with
ASCII files. How will they get the protection? Add-on?
3. Even with strong protection, valuable objects such as source
code (Excel) or complex 3D models will not be put on the Internet.
So, the withholding of such worlds remains a business decision
that is not affected by weak security. Simply, one does not
leave gold bars in the public square even with armed guards
as the level of temptation leads to innovative means of theft. There is
a substantial difference between protecting gold on the
market and protecting vegetables for sale. Many VRML worlds
will be vegetables: profitable to sell, but not critical if lost. The
owner makes the distinction, not the software.
4. The use of URL-based protection is a good suggestion.
It should be evaluated by all vendors of Internet products, not
just VRML vendors. This peoblem should not be solved by
VRML vendors one way, and HTML vendors another. The
advent of plug-in technology could shift the protection scheme
to the framework system away from the plug-in with a reduction in
complexity and the code footprint.
Oh, can we put encrypted copyright sigs in ASCII files?
len bullard
Len Bullard