# Product: brand, licensing, monetization & distribution

What the product is called, what it promises, what it may never do legally, and how it ships.
Read before branding, marketing, pricing, licensing or packaging work.

## Brand

Brand palette and official assets live in `MARCOM.md` (gitignored — read it for hex values,
asset file names, and marketing copy). The brand red `#e94560` is the primary accent used
throughout the UI.

### Product name vs repo/assembly branding (2026-09-14)

The product is **llamacasty** (llamacasty.com, llamachile.tube, `llgit.llamachile.tube`). The
repo path, csproj `AssemblyName`/`RootNamespace`, DB/log paths (`%APPDATA%\ytLlive\...`),
and most internal namings are the legacy **ytLive/ytLlive** — a re-brand that never renamed
the internals. Treat the two as separate: external/user-facing language says "llamacasty",
code/assembly/repo names stay `ytLive`. If a full internal re-brand is ever done, this note
and the UI locator (Premium/wordmark) are the checklists; it is NOT a goal pre-1.0.

**Say "LlamaCasty" when reporting to the creator** — never "ytLive" in prose. `ytLive` is
the internal repo/assembly/namespace name only. Exact current split:

| surface | name | note |
|---|---|---|
| product / site / marketing | **LlamaCasty** | llamacasty.com, llamachile.tube |
| repo dir, csproj, `RootNamespace` | `ytLive` | 230 files: `namespace ytLive.*` |
| `AssemblyName` → shipped exe | `ytLive` | `ytLive.exe` |
| app data dir | `%APPDATA%\ytLlive` | **capital L**, drifts from `ytLive` |
| `Distribution.md` tells customers | `LlamaCasty.exe` | ⚠ **mismatch vs the real `ytLive.exe`** |

**Consequences, so nobody re-hunts them:**
- Renaming `<AssemblyName>` to `LlamaCasty` is the cheap win (the customer-visible exe
  name matches what `Distribution.md` already promises; namespaces can stay `ytLive.*`).
  It is **4 lines**, but it hard-breaks three pack URIs that spell the assembly name:
  `MainWindow.xaml:14` (the **window icon** — taskbar/Alt-Tab), `OverlayHost.xaml:96`,
  `RenameRecordingDialog.xaml:5`. Miss those and you ship a broken icon. Queued in TASKS.md
  under the shipping task, not done.
- Renaming the `%APPDATA%\ytLlive` folder is **breaking** — it would orphan every existing
  user's layout DB, `Assets` and settings. Never do it casually; needs a migration.
- No code compares its own assembly name (no `GetExecutingAssembly().GetName().Name` checks),
  so the assembly name is otherwise free to change.

### AI transparency

This project is built through AI-assisted pair-programming. All code is generated
under the supervision of an experienced developer with decades of coding experience.
Architecture decisions, product direction, and quality gates are human-owned;
AI accelerates implementation. This is a testimonial to successful human-AI
collaboration, not autonomous code generation.

## Licensing — do not violate (GPL-3.0 open source since 2026-10-09; see `LICENSE`, `ADDITIONAL-TERMS.md`, `THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.txt`)

**LlamaCasty is free software under GPL-3.0-or-later** (creator rulings 2026-10-09 — free forever, public
repo, "GPL-3 with attribution"). Copyright (C) 2026 Gramps. `ADDITIONAL-TERMS.md` carries the three
§7 terms: **7(b)** every copy keeps "Based on LlamaCasty by Gramps — https://llamacasty.com" in its
About screen; **7(c)** modified versions are marked and renamed; **7(e)** no trademark rights. The
**icon + logo files** (`Assets/llamacasty-icon.png/.ico`, `Assets/llamacasty-logo.jpg`) are **all
rights reserved, outside the GPL** — verbatim copies may carry them, forks must replace them (this is
what keeps the merch brand protected). The scene backgrounds + default alert video are AI-generated
**placeholders** (creator: made "with the intent of individual creators to immediately replace with
their own images") — they go out under the GPL with the code, no reservation. `LICENSE` + `ADDITIONAL-TERMS.md` ship beside the exe
(csproj `None` items); the About panel shows `THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.txt`, whose header carries the
LlamaCasty license notice (GPL §5(d) "Appropriate Legal Notices"). **Source offer (§6):**
`https://llgit.llamachile.tube/gramps/LlamaCasty` (the Gitea repo; creator toggles it public — the
old `gramps/ytLlive` path 301-redirects there), recorded in the notices header + README.

Every bundled component must stay GPL-3.0-compatible (MIT/BSD/Apache-2.0/LGPL/public domain all are;
**GPL-2.0-only and proprietary are not**; Apache-2.0 is fine with GPL-3 but NOT with GPL-2). The
rules below predate the GPL switch; where their *reason* was "proprietary product" it is noted, but
the rule itself still stands for its other reasons. **NEVER:**

- **Swap the FFmpeg pin casually** — the BtbN `lgpl-shared` pin is the verified build. A GPL FFmpeg
  build would now be license-compatible (the old "GPL contaminates the paid product" reason is gone),
  but changing builds means re-verifying encoders, and libx264 carries no H.264 patent grant (Cisco's
  covers OpenH264). Keep `lgpl-shared` unless a task says otherwise.
- **Distribute the static lgpl build** — LGPLv2.1 §6 wants relinkable object files for static linking.
  The **shared** (dynamic-DLL) build sidesteps that: compliance is "license text + source offer +
  unmodified binaries". The pin is `lgpl-shared`; when the pin is refreshed, keep the shared variant.
- **Use BtbN's `nonfree` variant** — it adds fdk-aac (Fraunhofer code licensing). The native FFmpeg AAC
  encoder is fine (no Fraunhofer code) but grants no AAC patent license — accepted low-risk posture for
  RTMP→YouTube, since encoder vendors cover their implementations (Cisco OpenH264, NVIDIA NVENC, Intel
  QSV, AMD AMF).
- **Link FFmpeg into the app** — it stays a separate subprocess fed frames over a pipe; that separation
  keeps the app's own code out of LGPL reach.
- **Drop `THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.txt`** from the shipped app or the About screen, or alter the FFmpeg
  copyright/LGPL notices inside the downloaded binaries. Automating the download counts as distribution
  — the obligations are not optional.
- **Pin to a moving target** — the `latest` BtbN release tag floats. Only immutable autobuild tags give
  a reproducible source offer. Record the tag + variant beside the URL (TASKS.md) every time the pin moves.
- **Use non-CC0 icon art** — the social bar's bundled SVG logo path data comes from **Simple Icons**
  (CC0 1.0, public domain — see `THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.txt`). Replacing or adding logos must stay CC0 or
  another public-domain source; a logo asset under an incompatible or attribution-heavy license
  would complicate every redistribution. The app's icon + logo (`Assets/llamacasty-icon.*`,
  `Assets/llamacasty-logo.jpg`) are the creator's own art — all rights reserved, outside the GPL
  (`ADDITIONAL-TERMS.md`).
- **Ship an ML model without clean provenance** — the background-effects model (TASK 51) is Google's
  official MediaPipe Selfie Segmenter download (Apache-2.0, model card), converted by our own script.
  Model-zoo re-hosts (e.g. PINTO #109 = ML Kit's model, extracted) are off-limits. Apache-2.0 §4
  obligations (license notice + "we converted it") live in `THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.txt`.
- **Forget the v1 license-texts gate** — `THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.txt` links the canonical license texts; at
  **v1 (GA)** the full texts of every license it names MUST ship alongside it (TASK 4 requirement 9 is the
  release blocker). Queued early is wrong; the release pass owns it.
- **Break the in-app About requirement** — since TASK 11 the About overlay is the app's in-app creator
  hub: the real logo, the creator links (YouTube channel, Mastodon, Buy me a coffee, and the greyed
  "Unlock Premium" seam whose billing URL is tabled), and a **Licenses & legal** sub-panel that loads
  `THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.txt` from the executable directory and renders it in a scrolling panel —
  **never the OS viewer, no Notepad, no browser tab**. The premium/coffee link constants live in
  `MainViewModel` (`PremiumUrl`, `CoffeeUrl`, `ChannelUrl`, `MastodonUrl`); filling in the billing URL
  lights up the premium button. Do not reintroduce an "open the notices in Notepad" button.

## Design Principle

> This software is so intuitive that even the most right-brained person can easily intuit and use it.

Apply this to every UI decision:
- One-click go-live with working defaults
- Prefilled YouTube defaults (RTMP URL, bitrate, resolution, latency)
- Visual/drag-and-drop scene building over property panels
- Every action produces a visible outcome — no dead ends
- **"We're not them" (2026-09-01):** assume the creator's hardware is mediocre, because it is.
  Every feature spends the machine's budget once — never twice for the same result (record OR
  stream, not both; one reusable stream; one webcam; two mixer inputs). If a feature only sings on
  a high-end chassis, it doesn't ship — the OBS escape hatch is open by design.

## Monetization (design decision — the branding flash is the sword)

> **⛔ Superseded 2026-10-08/09 — free forever, no branding on the stream.** The credit is now
> **OFF by default**: `MainViewModel.ShowBrandFlash` (internal static, default `false`) is the
> master switch, and `BrandFlashEnabled => ShowBrandFlash && !IsPremium` feeds the presenter at
> construction and on every licence change. The code (`BrandFlashPresenter`, the FramePump
> `brandFlash:` seam, the preview layer) is kept, not deleted — creator ruling: "don't delete it,
> just make it conditionally displayed". `BrandFlashOutputTests` opt in by setting the switch
> before constructing a `MainWindow`; `Credit_IsOffByDefault_EvenOnTheFreeTier` guards the default.
> Everything below is the historical paid-tier design.

Full pricing and the Year 1 revenue forecast in `MONETIZATION.md` (gitignored). ⚠️ **No Polar
product, discount code, or license key exists any more** — nothing bills today; Polar is dormant.
Brand palette and assets in `MARCOM.md` (gitignored). This section covers the in-app model.

Free forever: **all features unlocked for everyone** — no feature lock, no paid tier, and since
2026-10-08 **no watermark either** (the credit is OFF by default; see the banner above). No
creator will tolerate a watermark, and as a good-guy developer we give everyone complete access
so no one can call us crooked. Money comes from gratuity/merch, not gating (TASK 54).

- **Free:** a periodic branding credit — "made with LlamaCasty!" in **full-frame neon** (white core,
  feathered red/blue halo with the channels split in opposite directions), at a **random position
  inside the frame on every presentation** (single pre-measured line, so it never wraps; travel range
  is `0 … 1920−textWidth`), held **2s** (500ms fade in, 1000ms full, 500ms fade out), first credit
  ~5s after go-live then **every `rand(30s)+30s`** (30–60s), on the live output **and** local
  recordings. An always-on watermark can be cropped or covered; an intermittent full-frame flash can't
  be cropped and is impractical to edit around on a live feed.
  **The flash is also the free tier's billboard** — every free stream advertises LlamaCasty to its own
  viewers; the free tier is distribution, not compromise.
  Implemented as `Services/Compositor/BrandFlashPresenter.cs` (raster + envelope + placement + licence
  gate), published to **both** the frame pump (`FramePump(brandFlash:)` → the compositor's per-frame
  `flashFrame` slot) and the preview (`BrandFlashElement`, bound to `BrandFlashImageSource`) from the
  **same** `VideoFrame`, so the preview cannot drift from the broadcast. Deliberately NOT the
  `flashFrame` parameter of `SceneGraph.GetBakedBase` — `SceneRegion.Matches` compares element ids
  only, so a credit folded into the cached bake would freeze there and never expire.
  **Pre-GA posture — REVERSED 2026-09-26 (TASK 36 shipped).** This used to render *in the preview
  only*, never on the broadcast, so test VODs stayed clean. The creator ruled that the free tier must
  be honest advertising: it now composites into the recording and the stream. Test VODs from an
  unlicensed instance carry the credit — use a license key or the paid build for clean captures.
  **Escalation model (2026-09-01, creator decision):** the cadence is *obnoxiously* self-promoting.
  License activation still flips exactly one bit: `IsPremium` → flash off. Nothing else changes
  between free and paid, ever.
  **Cadence is APP-LIFETIME, not go-live (creator ruling 2026-09-26):** the presenter is
  `Start()`ed **once in the `MainViewModel` ctor**, not from `UpdateLiveVisuals()`. It used to be
  gated on `IsLive`, which meant a recording made without ever going live carried no credit — the
  creator's ruling: *"the made with llamacasty flash should appear in all scenes, not just live"*
  and *"should also appear in recordings"*. One start now covers every scene, the preview, the
  stream and the recording, because go-live and local recording are the **same `FramePump`**
  (`Streaming.Operations.cs:68` and `:199` both call `StartAsync` with the same `brandFlash:`
  delegate) — verified, not assumed; there is no second encoder path needing a "redirect". The
  licence gate needs no live branch: `IsPremium`'s setter pushes `Enabled` from anywhere.
  **Consequence of app-lifetime — the premium edge restarts the timer.** `Enabled = false` stops
  the `DispatcherTimer` (cutting the advertisement mid-credit). Because `Start()` is no longer
  called per go-live, nothing would ever restart it, so a key entered mid-session would leave the
  credit dead until the process restarted. The setter therefore restarts it when re-enabling while
  `_running` (`IsCadenceTimerEnabled` is the test seam).
  **Test-arithmetic trap, hit again 2026-09-26:** `Advance(5.1)` in ONE call cannot observe a
  credit — `Advance` both *opens* the presentation and *ages* it by the same delta, so a single
  5.1s step blows clean through the 2s window. Always step in 1/30s increments like the real timer
  (the `Step` helpers in `BrandFlashOutputTests`).
- **Paid:** branding flash removed. `BrandFlashEnabled` is now a **derived, non-assignable**
  `!IsPremium` and the presenter's own `Enabled` gate is re-checked on every frame, so the
  entitlement changing mid-credit cuts the advertisement on the next tick rather than letting it
  finish. That's it. No feature gating. Alerts, social bar slots, voice filters, TRAX, recording —
  everything is free. **How `IsPremium` is obtained is a billing concern and has changed twice;
  what it gates has not.**
- **Pricing: ⛔ SUPERSEDED 2026-10-08 by the free-forever ruling (TASK 54).** Retained as
  reasoning only: `$10/mo` subscription or `$400` lifetime, no annual, ruled 2026-09-27 and
  overtaken ten days later. If a paid tier ever returns, these are the numbers to argue from.
  **How `IsPremium` would be obtained is a billing concern; what it gates is not.**
- **Billing: ⏸ dormant — no paid tier exists** (free-forever ruling 2026-10-08, TASK 54). The
  Store IAP plan of 2026-09-27 was never implemented (`Windows.Services.Store` appears nowhere
  in the repo) and was withdrawn with the Store route on 2026-10-22. If a paid tier ever
  returns, the provider is **Polar** — merchant of record for VAT/sales tax, 5% + $0.50 Starter,
  **$50 already paid**; `Distribution.md` §4.2/§4.5 holds the design. ⚠️ No Polar product, org
  ID, key prefix, or discount code exists (`d105dfa1-…`, `c05fb364-…`, `LCYT-`, `LLAMAFOUNDER`/
  `LLAMA50`, the customer-portal validate endpoint, and the 14-day offline-grace machine are all
  gone).
- **Support (creator's model, corrected 2026-09-01):** support = email + GitHub issues — the
  once-planned in-app bug-reporter is **out of product** (TASKS.md → closed list). Most queries are
  how-tos / feature requests / manual-skimmers. Maintenance cadence = "when I get around to it" with
  emergency patches; not a 24/7 service promise. There is **no licence chatter at all** — the app
  is free, there are no keys, and no user sees licence UI. TASK 36 item 5 (expiry reminder) is
  struck.

**Monetization awareness (built-in, ungated, free — 2026-09-01; v1 SCOPE per the complete-v1
ruling — build order: capture → report → journey → Alerts):** the app is monetization-aware by
design, for **every** creator, free and ungated (the only subscriber swap remains the branding-flash
removal above). It has three layers, all free — this is the product's differentiator, not a paid tier:

- **Reward-event capture (the data foundation).** The live-chat poll (`YouTubeChatService.Poll`)
  receives every reward event over `liveChat/messages` and — since TASK 43 (2026-09-24) —
  **decodes all six types**, not two: `superChatEvent`, `superStickerEvent`, `newSponsorEvent`,
  `membershipGiftingEvent`, `giftMembershipReceivedEvent`, `memberMilestoneChatEvent` land as
  `ChatMessage.Kind` (`ChatEventKind`) with their payload fields (display string, sticker
  description, gift count, gifter name, milestone months); free subscriptions emit NO event
  (API fact — a sub mention is a plain text row). The remaining half of the original capture
  plan stays open (TASK 3 item 20): persist each event to the canonical SQLite `RewardEvents`
  table (broadcastId, type, timestamp, amountMicros, currency, tier...) + `superChatEvents.list`
  (30-day lookback) backfill — that persistence is what the session report and the journey
  tracker read. Alerts did not wait on it: the shipped alert path (TASK 43) renders directly
  from the in-memory `ChatMessage` feed.
- **Session / broadcast report.** A session is created at Go Live; the poll + End roll that session's
  reward totals (new members, Super Chat $, stickers $, gifts, milestones). This is the in-app
  replacement for the emailed external "stream activity report" — the incumbents (Streamlabs et al.)
  email near-useless post-stream summaries; we track the same data natively and maintain it.
- **Journey tracker (TASK 39, slice 1 shipped 2026-09-22).** A **"YPP"** tab below the
  Stream Settings pull-out (Live screen right edge) shows the connected creator's position
  toward each YPP tier threshold. Slice 1 = current-scope data only: `channels.list?mine=true
  &part=statistics,contentDetails` (subs/views/videos + uploads-playlist id) +
  `playlistItems.list` for 90-day public uploads. Every refresh appends
  a `YppSnapshot` to SQLite (schema v10) — the history a later slice needs for velocity/ETA.
  **The `auditDetails` part is OUT (fixed 2026-09-23):** readding it 403s the WHOLE request —
  that part alone requires the `youtubepartner-channel-audit` scope no app for normal creators
  should request (the standing flags sat unreadable since slice 1 shipped; the app's `youtube` +
  `youtube.force-ssl` scopes were never sufficient for them — the "no re-consent" slice-1 claim
  was wrong for that part). Channel standing now deep-links to the Earn page; API stats come from
  `statistics,contentDetails` only. YPP/API failures log the response body's `error.reason`.
  **YPP thresholds are versioned, date-aware DATA, never constants** — the Tier-2 bar doubles
  for new applicants on **2027-02-01** (long-form 4,000 → 8,000 qualified hrs / 365d; Shorts
  10M → 20M / 90d), while the Tier-1 fan-funding bar (500 subs / 3,000 hrs / 3M Shorts) is
  unchanged. Hardcoding the pre-2027 numbers would ship the wrong ETA. Watch-hours / Shorts /
  velocity / ETA are **slice 2**: Analytics-API scopes (`yt-analytics.readonly`, additive
  `yt-analytics-monetary.readonly`) behind the `IChannelStatsProvider` seam (additive
  capability, requires an OAuth re-consent). Compliance items no API exposes (2FA, AdSense
  linkage) are in-app self-reported checkboxes with deep links; channel standing (exposed only
  via the partner-audit scope) deep-links to the Earn page. Slice 2's once-daily refresh gate +
  snapshot history were baked into slice 1.

**What was rejected:** always-on watermark (obscurable — replaced by the flash), hard stream-time
cutoffs (the worst dead end — a stream dying mid-broadcast reads as broken, and YouTube streams
routinely run 2-4 hours), soft-limit nagging, freemium feature tiers, and donation-only (relies on
the kindness of strangers). Resolution/quality ceilings stay rejected (fixed 2026-09-01, no longer
"deferred"): the free tier never loses quality — auto step-down (**TASK 33**) is a *protect the
stream* feature, never a monetization penalty.

## Auth gates Go Live, but not exploration

The app is fully usable without authentication: users can build scenes, add sources, compose
previews, and audition the software with zero commitment. But **going live requires authentication** —
it's the one capability gated behind YouTube sign-in. The sign-in should never pressure the user
("sign in (optional)", not a modal wall): the two-state top bar shows **Start Stream** (offline) /
**End Stream** (live), and the Start Stream dialog hosts the account — a saved session appears as
the default with "Change Account"; with none saved, a "Sign in to YouTube" button starts OAuth and
the Start button stays disabled until signed in.

## Account assumption (do not build an account setup flow)

Connecting uses Google OAuth ("Sign in with Google") to link an **existing** YouTube creator
account. ytLlive **never creates or sets up accounts** — that is YouTube's job. If the creator has no
YouTube channel, they go to YouTube first. This assumption is explicit and must never be silently
replaced by an in-app account-creation step. Zero state = the Start Stream dialog's "Sign in to
YouTube" button; going live is unreachable until an account is connected.

## Windows packaging & distribution (⛔ REVERSED 2026-10-22 — direct + Steam; Store dropped)

**The Microsoft Store route is dead.** A brand name on the Store's *publisher* line requires a
**Company** account, which requires a registered legal entity (an LLC — ~$85 New Mexico with a
~2-week SOS backlog, ~$143 Wyoming). Partner Center does **not** convert an Individual account to
a Company account later, and an Individual account publishes under the verified legal name. The
creator will not fund an entity for a nameplate, so the 2026-09-27 Store ruling was withdrawn on
2026-10-22. Store IAP was never implemented either — `Windows.Services.Store` appears nowhere in
the repo.

**The route now:**

1. **Direct download from `llamacasty.com`** — the app is **free forever** (TASK 54), so there is
   nothing to bill in v1.
2. **Steam when $100 exists** — Steam Direct is $100 per product (recoupable after $1,000 AGR),
   accepted categories include *Audio/Video Production* / *Player Tools* (OBS Studio is the
   precedent), the **developer/publisher name is self-chosen** so the brand needs no entity,
   5+ screenshots at 1920×1080 + capsule art, a build Valve runs, and a **2-week live page**
   before release. Valve takes 30%.
3. **Polar is dormant, not deleted-in-principle** — chosen checkout/licence provider if a paid
   tier ever returns; $50 already paid. `Distribution.md` §4.2/§4.5 holds the design.
4. **The Microsoft Store: not pursued.** The MSIX package stays as a working artifact and is
   submitted nowhere. History: `TASKS/research-store-certification.md`,
   `TASKS/task-48-distribution-msix.md`.

**Consequences that are architecture, not packaging detail:**

- **⛔ The updater is now MISSING, not deleted-by-design.** Velopack and its bootstrap were
  removed on 2026-10-22 (TASK 48 slice 3) because the Store was going to deliver updates — that
  premise is gone. An update path must come back, and
  `ytLive.Tests/StorePackagingTests.cs` (which asserts no updater returns) must be rewritten
  with the chosen updater rather than left to veto one.
- **The MSIX package still builds** via `scripts/package-msix.sh` (TASK 48 slice 2) — publish
  `Release -r win-x64 --self-contained` into `artifacts/msix-stage`, copy
  `Packaging/Package.appxmanifest` in as `AppxManifest.xml` + `Packaging/Assets/`, then
  `makeappx pack` → `artifacts/LlamaCasty.msix` (159 MB, gitignored; `MSIX_PFX` signs it for a
  local install). The manifest is a **full-trust `packagedClassicApp` at `mediumIL`** with
  `runFullTrust` + webcam + microphone. `Square310x310Logo`/`Wide150x150Logo` traps are in
  `MyMistakes.md`. Logos come from the app's own artwork via `scripts/make-store-logos.py`.
- **⛔ Bundle ffmpeg — no runtime downloads** (was Store policy 10.2.2; still right for a direct
  download, and it fixes the 2026-09-01 404). See [`docs/ai/output.md`](docs/ai/output.md) → "FFmpeg locator".
- **⛔ 64-bit Windows only (creator ruling 2026-10-09).** Both csproj files set
  `<PlatformTarget>x64</PlatformTarget>` (the test project too — an AnyCPU test project
  referencing an x64 app raises MSB3270 and breaks the 0-warning gate). Why: the bundled ffmpeg
  is the win64 build, ONNX Runtime 1.31 ships no win-x86 native (only win-x64/win-arm64), and a
  32-bit address space can't hold the 1080p frame buffers. Windows 11 is 64-bit-only anyway.
  Public copy says "64-bit Windows 10 or 11".

**What does NOT change: the monetization posture.** The app is **free forever with no watermark**
(TASK 54, 2026-10-08), so `IsPremium` gates nothing in v1 and the branding flash is OFF by
default. `Monetization` above governs.

### ⛔ Durable invariant: full trust, or recording silently breaks

MSIX packages run at one of two trust levels. A packaged WPF app declaring
`rescap:Capability Name="runFullTrust"` runs at **mediumIL — the same permissions as a
standard desktop app, NOT AppContainer** — and may spawn child processes, which is why
bundling ffmpeg is legal. Writes to user-profile locations (AppData, Downloads, MyVideos)
**pass through unvirtualized at mediumIL**; the package install folder is read-only.

**`ViewModels/MainViewModel.Recording.cs` writes recordings to
`%USERPROFILE%\Downloads` / `SpecialFolder.MyVideos` (`DefaultRecordFolder()`,
`ChooseRecordFolder()` via `Microsoft.Win32.OpenFolderDialog`), and the whole
temp-write-then-move lifecycle stays in one directory.** That works *only* because we are full
trust. No `broadFileSystemAccess` capability is needed, and none should be added.

⚠️ **If anyone flips the manifest to `appContainer`, `Directory.CreateDirectory` and
`File.Move` start resolving to a per-package virtualized location and output vanishes with no
error.** A comment at `DefaultRecordFolder()` is owed **when the manifest lands** (TASK 48
item 6) — not before; a comment describing a manifest that doesn't exist is worse than none.

### Signing — do not buy EV

Microsoft **removed the SmartScreen instant-bypass for EV certificates in March 2024**. An
EV-signed file now accrues reputation exactly like an OV-signed one, so EV ($400+/yr) buys
what OV (~$150–300/yr) buys. Signing is **not** instant regardless — a valid cert stops the
*malware* warning immediately, but "unrecognized publisher" clears only as SmartScreen accrues
reputation from real download volume. Cert validity is capped at **460 days** (recurring
line item) and private keys must live on an **HSM or hardware token**. **The 2026-10-22 ruling
is to ship unsigned and accept the "unrecognized publisher" warning** until download reputation
accrues — buying a certificate is deferred, not rejected. `Distribution.md` §4.3 was corrected
2026-09-27 (it previously recommended EV).

### Distribution and licensing are independent — and the channel decision does not decide licensing

A **Store-distributed** app *may* still verify licences with **Polar** (Store policy 10.8.1
explicitly permits a secure third-party purchase API for non-game PC products), so "which
channel?" never implied "which billing?" — route B was a real option. The 2026-10-22 reversal
proves the point in the other direction: dropping the Store did not by itself restart Polar,
because the **2026-10-08 free-forever ruling** (TASK 54) had already removed the paid tier.
Polar is therefore *dormant*, ready if a paid tier ever returns, and nothing in v1 depends on it.
The lesson worth keeping: the licensing choice rides on a **monetization** decision, not on a
distribution decision.

### ⛔ "Only when the user says so" is enforced by Windows, not by us

Camera/mic consent is layered: Store policy **10.6** forbids circumventing OS checks; the
**Windows desktop-app camera/microphone toggle** (Settings → Privacy & security, since Win10
1903) is the gate; hardware lights and tray indicators are the OS's disclosure mechanism. So
**route everything through the standard MF/DShow/WASAPI paths and we never write that
certification ourselves** — the OS does it and gets neither our credit nor our blame.

⚠️ **Untested:** whether that toggle reliably gates a **DShow webcam and a capture card**.
Microsoft's own support page admits desktop apps "might still be able to access your camera
or microphone even when these settings are turned off." This is **not** a certification
failure (we declare `webcam` honestly and use supported APIs) but it is a real user-trust
issue — so **no privacy-forward marketing copy until it is measured.** Guard note added to
`MARCOM.md`.

### ⛔ Durable invariant: chat is rendered, never stored

`TASK 49`'s profanity filter is **local, on-device, opt-in, non-persistent**, with a
**user-supplied word list — never a hardcoded slur list baked into the binary** (unpleasant
artifact, false positives across dialects, extractable). It must **never match the SuperChat
amount or any reward field** — those are financial data under policy 10.5.5.

The non-persistence half is not just hygiene: it is the load-bearing half of the **11.12 UGC
certification answer** (mirrored YouTube chat is moderated at industrial scale upstream; ~1.6B
comments removed in Q1 2026 alone, child safety the #2 reason at 124.6M). **No future feature
— chat history, moderation logs, analytics, crash payloads — may quietly break that
assumption.** If one is ever proposed, the 11.12 position must be re-argued first.

### Minors

The **operator is 13+ by construction**, not by promise: LlamaCasty requires a YouTube
account to stream, and YouTube's ToS sets the account floor at **13** (regional variants reach
14; 13–17 need parent/guardian permission; under-13s are on supervised/YouTube Kids accounts).
So a COPPA theory premised on collecting PI from under-13s has no purchase against the
operator. The residual is **viewers** — still possible on supervised family accounts — and it
is weak: live chat is restricted there, YouTube moderates before we see it, and we persist
nothing. COPPA is very unlikely to bind (not child-directed), but note the enforcement trend
(FTC Sept 2025 *Apitor*: operators are responsible for what third-party components collect) —
so the answer is a documented inquiry, and ours is "no third-party analytics or ad SDKs, no
persisted chat or reward payloads."