You are stealing from me...

It seems that due to an exploit in SL permissions, my skins are beeing given out like SL party hats and popguns. Although I am flattered they are so popular and I'm not hurting for money really so I haven't made much of a fuss but dang it it is still theft. Since 1.5 my name as creator has even been wiped off so folks have no idea who made them as they are stealing... sigh.

Then again, what can I do? The Lindens know about it but it still leaves me, and I'm sure others, screwed...

It isn't so much the fact I don't get paid as much as it hurts all who sell patterned skins since they can get them for free, why pay for any others when you can get a good one for free? It's why I didn't sell them for $50 when I started but I might as well have since they are free now.

I really hate hearing this. Your skins are beautiful. I don't know that there's anything we can do except educate people, but please, look out for a RATE meeting next weekend. We're a group of merchants and interested parties trying to work together to prevent this sort of thing.

I have a couple questions:

1. Is this exploit fixed?
2. If this exploit was based on a system problem, not your fault in any way, what have the Lindens done to resolve this?

I'm really sorry to hear about this! I've had it happen to me before too. Best advice I can give you is to keep your skins no-mod. That prevents easy texture theft. I had to learn that the hard way. And always always double check the permissions before you box things, and then check the perms in the boxes, and then recheck often. Once you let it get out into circulation, it's gone. Hope this won't discourage you. Your work rocks.

1. Not that I know of.
2. I was told "Phillip was working on it" by a friend who had talked to the Lindens about it. It may have been a part of the "bug hunt" but I'm not sure.

It's not theft and no one is stealing anything. You money balance didn't go down, no object disappeared from your inventory.

However some people are distributing your creations well beyond your intentions, and THIS is rude. In fact it's an outrage, people should respect the choices of authors.

If I'm not mistaken it is illegal. Kathmandu owns the copyright. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.

Sorry to hear about this happening to you, Kath.

I would like to have more faith in an "honor system", but clearly this is dishonor here.

I think we're going to need to invent new words to describe these sort of actions online -- "thievery" isn't futuristic enough to cut it.

I am sorry to hear this. I have bought a couple of your skins (legally of course) and have enjoyed them.

I think it is indeed stealing as someone is getting something they didn't pay for.

I have contacted two creators to let them know there was a problem with the items I had bought that allowed me to sell copies. I want creative people in SL to make money so they can continue to create. Otherwise they have no incentive.

I bought one from your vendor just yesterday, I am sorry to hear people are copying your work. Your work is beautiful.

FOR GOODNESS SAKES!

I reported a bug that allowed permissions to be exploited AGES ago, and it was fixed. I've heard of at least TWO more since then, and now you have another one!

The permissions system in second life is VITAL and must now be given the same priority as the internal software the biggest banks in America use to handle customer cash transfers.

Where would America or the world be if there was a new bug in the bank's systems giving 'free cash' every week. This simply is not good enough.

I think Second Life should shut for a week. A week where every Linden looks at every line of item sales code, to make sure that not a single bug gets through. This is not the kind of thing you can be casual about. If this is not nailed down, it could unravel second life. Why bother make anything if someone will just copy it for free?

This must be given top priority. It is not an option.

I'm also sorry Kathmandu to hear of this.

I also support RATE and urge you to check out their efforts.

Truth will out.

Come to this thread:

/120/47/33274/1.html

We are starting a Union, to allow us to withhold land fees as a group, and make our voices heard.

You don't like the bugs in SL? You think the Lindens aren't listening? Speak in unison! Join the UNION!

Jesecure, you do know that they're working on an overhaul of the permissions system, right? Is your solution to have them rush it? Personally I'd rather have it work correctly.

Well I am getting antsy. I haven't heard anything about a permissions system. If I am getting antsy and there are bugs on THEIR watch, they need to form ranks and come out here and tell me they are working on a system. No good working on it in silence.

I understand. I think we're all anxious for it. When I bum out about permissions bugs I just think back to the time when there were no permissions at all. We have it really good now by comparison! hehe. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the new system is solid when we do get it.

I agree. Things are better than they were. But sometimes it's just still not right.

I think a union would be a good thing. If a few hundred people ask "What's the story with the permissions bug?" I bet we'd get an answer. Seems it's rather easier to ignore the odd person on their own.

Well, I kinda disagree. What you'd accomplish is to make them have to take time away from working on bugs and features to try and placate you and ultimately I don't think that would be good for anyone. Just my opinion of course. I try and just go with the flow.

I think it is good for the people to be vocal and to lobby for change.

If we can communicate to Linden Labs that an issue is important to the community, or at least a significant portion of it, they might take 90 seconds out of their day to hammer out a few short words to keep us in the loop on what they're doing to address our problems. That'd be a start.

I agree that more frequent updates about progress would be a good thing. I also think that if there's an angry mob with pitchforks and torches outside I'd probably prefer to hide in my cubicle

It saddens me that yet someone else has been victimized by this. I don't know what the status is on the progress - just in the time between Philip coming to my store and having Phoenix Linden help me, I had 5 different items change permissions on their own. Shadow also spoke in another thread of an exploit that is reproduceable that he reported to LL - hopefully something will be done, though once the genie is out of the bottle, it is impossible to put back in.

Selling or distributing counterfit goods is theft. Call it what you want, but those that indulge in this practice in SL or RL are thieves, period.

Thanks everyone for your support and kind words. I do appreciate it.

I just get frustrated when I show someone one of my skins outside of SL and they tell me they give them away in the game for free and insinuate I am taking credit for it.

It just ain't fair.

Yep. I agree 110%. Even if the items were *free* for distribution, taking one, marking it up and reselling it is stealing. Period.

in that case I'm not "stealing" from microsoft if I pirate say office. Office didn't dissapear from their database, and their account balance didn't go down... See a problem with this logic?