Importance

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Abstract

A user can create a video segment or employ an existing video segment, upload the segment to a server, indicate an advertisement to be associated with the video, and then send it to a recipient over a computer network. The user provides an indication that one or more particular video segments and advertisements are to be shared over the network. The video segment(s) is/are then automatically assessed and determined to be compatible with streaming video, or not. If the video segment(s) is/are not compatible with streaming video, it/they are converted to a compatible format automatically. An identifier for the video segment is automatically created and the segment and the identifier are automatically uploaded to a host computer over the network such as the Internet. The video segment, the identifier (optionally with other identifying material such as an identity of the sender, and an advertisement selected by the sender can be stored at the direction of the host computer. A viewer can be sent an identifier of the video, and can request that the video be served as a streaming video to the viewer's computer. Alternatively, the viewer can be sent a location of the video such as a URL, can be served the video as an embedded portion of a Web page, or can be served the video as a consequence of being sent a link in an e-mail or as an e-mail greeting card.

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First Claim