Check out Syd's Second Life - my new comic strip!

Check out Episode One of Syd's Second Life!

Very funny!!!

Great strip Syd! I can't wait for strip #2!

-Bone

Thanks! Although before I can do strip number two, I need to know the answer about showing textures that I didnt' make (and is it different if the textures were part of teh starter set supplied by LL or player created?) and also about showing the in-game world except that which I completely created. Either that, or I need to get a hole lot better at texturing myself!

Anyone know the answers?

Syd

LOL! Very cute!

Oops. Obviously we want things like the cartoon to be doable but I agree that the TOS doesn't discuss textures/content that all users should have access to.

We are now working on it and will update the TOS when it is fixed.

Cory

My 2 cents. I used to work as a paparrazi at media events and the guidelines I think apply. The ground in the ground, no need to worry about that since you're given access to it, and you do not take credit for it. The clothes were fine since you don't take credit for them and the comic isn't -about- the clothes, same for the hair and make-up.

or to put it another way.

In tv shows, they don't worry about who made the clothes the actors wear unless the show is about the clothes. Unless you're making the clothes, ground sky, whatever the focus or, or take credit for these things, you;re clear, no worries.

Also, buildings: Public views of builds would be fine as long as they're just in the background and are not the focus of the picture, comic add whatever. For instance, say someone wanted to do a movie of themselves, say flying a plane over the SL landscape. You would not have to worry about builds showing up in the film, since the subject of the film is you flying over the landscape, the landscape must naturally incule very public views of the builds below.

If however, you made a particular build the focus, like circling, talking about it, pointing things out, then that's different..

You don't even have to worry about whether or not you built the plane! You can't say you built it or anything, but if it's just 'A Plane" no worries.

Hope that helped

Syd, there is something called "fair use" you know

Or at least there used to be. With the advent of the DMCA and similar copyright legislation, activities that used to be covered by "fair use" (such as the right to view copyrighted material that you paid for) are no longer protected.

Exactly. I thought (and someone slap me if I'm wrong), unless you intended to use said IP for profit, then it was all OK. Once there is $$$ involved, then it becomes an issue.

Am I right? Wrong?

Dead wrong. The only major difference between whether you're using someone's IP for profit or not is how big the damages the court is allowed to award are.

"Fair use" is a subject of much debate, but it was originally intended to allow parody and quotations in reviews, criticism, or academic settings.

I'm no lawyer, but it seems to me that the particular comic strip in question might qualify as parody. On the other hand, if you were to set a non-parodic comic strip in SL, you might want to get permission of the people who created the background setting you're using.

For example, if I were to set a comic strip in Gotham City or Metropolis, I'd probably want to get permission from DC Comics, no matter whether I planned to sell it or distribute it for free.

As I pointed out, we are working on the TOS. If you have questions about copyrights, check out the FAQ at http://www.copyright.gov.

Cory

That's the way it USED to be.... before the RIAA/MPAA bought a certain (now deceased) senator from California.... and before the DMCA. Now it doesn't matter.

Oh... and public domain? Yeah that's gone too. Copyright now has indefinite extentions. Isn't this fun?

Thanks, everyone, for your input. A few points:

- I don't think there is a reasonable basis for deciding what is fair use in SL, since it is the first Virtual World to permit non-employees to create unique items, textures and characters in world AND to allow those creators to retain their Intellectual Property rights.

- A primary indicator of what will and will not be considered "fair use", I believe, will be what official policy LL provides for showing LL-owned or created objects/textures in original works for display outside SL.

Also, I am guessing that TOS will have to evolve over time to include variations on user agreements. For instance, clothing may need to be set to include messages upon wearing such as "You may not use this clothing in the creation of any images to be shown outside of the game" or some such, so as to allow things to have imbedded Creative Commons rights - or not.

Basically, as Betty Davis said, "You better put on your seatbelt, boys, it's going to be a bumpy ride!"

- Syd

Oh, and did I fail to mention that I plan on becoming the next Trudeau with this cartoon strip? <grin>

Man, you remember when Syd's comic strip used to be good, back in the '70s? Those were the days...

Syd,

lol - it was worth the search!

How do these changes impact on copyright laws internationally?