US Patent 8640229 Token-based security for links to media streams

Systems and methods of token-based protection for links to media streams are disclosed. For example, a web server may generate a first token based on a private key and an encryption algorithm. The first token may be inserted into a link to a media stream, where the link is included in a web page and the media stream is hosted by a media server. When the link is selected at a client device, a media request including the first token may be sent to the media server. The media server may generate a second token based on the private key and the encryption algorithm. The media server may selectively grant or deny the media request based on whether the first token matches the second token.