System and method of watermarking

1. A method of watermarking video images of a particular instance of a virtual environment, comprising the steps of:

selecting, by at least one processor, a plurality of virtual objects for inclusion within the virtual environment;

respectively altering, by the at least one processor, a physical property of the selected virtual objects from a reference value to a respective different value,

wherein the respective different value is selected responsive to a respective identification value of identification data associated with that particular instance of the virtual environment, and

wherein the physical property has a visible effect on an appearance of the virtual objects; and

rendering for display, by the at least one processor, the virtual environment comprising the altered virtual objects;

in which the physical property is type of virtual object, and the type of virtual object is altered by one selected from the list consisting of:

i. selecting a respective type allocated to a corresponding identification value; and

ii. selecting a type from a respective set of types allocated to a corresponding identification value.

2. The method according to claim 1 , in which a further physical property of the selected virtual objects is scale, and the scale of the virtual objects is altered by one selected from the list consisting of:

i. scale values corresponding to identification values; and

ii. scale values selected from within ranges corresponding to identification values.

3. The method according to claim 1 , in which a further physical property of the selected virtual objects is rotation, and the rotation of the virtual objects is altered by one selected from the list consisting of:

i. offset values corresponding to identification values; and

ii. offset values selected from within ranges corresponding to identification values.

4. The method according to claim 1 , in which a further physical property of the selected virtual objects is placement, and the placement of virtual objects is altered by one selected from the list consisting of:

i. offset values corresponding to identification values; and

ii. offset values selected from within ranges corresponding to identification values.

5. The method according to claim 1 , in which a further physical property of the selected virtual objects is placement, and the placement of virtual objects is one selected from the list consisting of:

i. a position within a predetermined region of the virtual environment corresponding to a bit of the identification data; and

ii. a position within a predetermined region of the virtual environment corresponding to co-ordinates in a co-ordinate system other than a co-ordinate system of the virtual environment itself.

6. The method according to claim 1 , in which a further physical property of the selected virtual objects is colour.

7. The method according to claim 6 , in which the colour of virtual objects is altered by applying a tint to a texture of the virtual object.

8. The method according to claim 1 , in which the plurality of virtual objects are distributed within a region of the virtual environment in a predetermined order.

9. The method according to claim 1 , in which a further physical property of the selected virtual objects is object behaviour, and the behaviour of a respective one of the plurality of virtual objects is altered responsive to a respective identification value.

10. The method according to claim 1 , in which the plurality of virtual objects are placed in a region of the virtual environment that provides the only access between two other regions of the virtual environment.

11. The method according to claim 1 , in which the plurality of virtual objects are placed in a region of the virtual environment facing a position where a user of the virtual environment is initially placed.

12. A tangible non-transitory machine-readable medium computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program code stored thereon, the program code being adapted to perform, when run on a computer, a method of watermarking video images of a particular instance of a virtual environment, the method comprising:

selecting a plurality of virtual objects for inclusion within the virtual environment;

respectively altering a physical property of the selected virtual objects from a reference value to a respective different value,

wherein the respective different value is selected responsive to a respective identification value of identification data associated with that particular instance of the virtual environment, and

wherein the physical property has a visible effect on an appearance of the virtual objects; and

rendering for display the virtual environment comprising the altered virtual objects;

in which the physical property is type of virtual object, and the type of virtual object is altered by one selected from the list consisting of:

i. selecting a respective type allocated to a corresponding identification value; and

ii. selecting a type from a respective set of types allocated to a corresponding identification value.

13. An entertainment device, comprising:

graphics processing means adapted to generate a virtual environment, the graphics processing means being adapted to select a plurality of virtual objects for inclusion within the virtual environment;

property processing means adapted to respectively alter a physical property of the selected virtual objects from a reference value to a respective different value,

wherein the respective different value is selected responsive to a respective identification value of identification data associated with that particular instance of the virtual environment, and

wherein the physical property has a visible effect on an appearance of the virtual objects; and

rendering processing means adapted to render for display the virtual environment comprising the altered virtual objects;

in which the physical property is type of virtual object, and the type of virtual object is altered by one selected from the list consisting of:

i. selecting a respective type allocated to a corresponding identification value; and

ii. selecting a type from a respective set of types allocated to a corresponding identification value.

14. The entertainment device according to claim 13 , in which a further physical property of the selected virtual objects is one or more selected from the list consisting of:

i. scale;

ii. placement;

iii. rotation;

iv. presence/absence;

v. colour; and

vi. behaviour.

15. The tangible non-transitory machine-readable medium computer program product according to claim 12 , in which a further physical property of the selected virtual objects is one or more selected from the list consisting of:

i. scale;

ii. placement;

iii. rotation;

iv. presence/absence;

v. colour; and

vi. behaviour.