Stealing Designs?

I would hope any suspicions of theft be investigated before any accusasations are made. Dispite what so many here think, there are many in SL who really do make stuff for fun and not profit. I know quite a few since I tend to hang with like thinking people in this game. By all that "caring" about individual rights for "creators" and thinking you are doing the "right thing" you may actually be harming people like me.......causing us grief by false accusations. Do your research first. You could find you are mistaken..........and more than you might think too.

Kind of hypocritical of you to bother posting, just to tell someone they shouldn't be sticking their nose in something that isn't their business.. or do you just hold others to this rule and not yourself?


That being said, cut prims textured with freebie or purchased textures.. sure, not so original. On the other side of that, though, there's plenty of sculpties, artwork (especially skins, etc) that is someone's RL work they've imported into Second Life. These works are often copyrighted or protected in some other way. They deserve to know if someone is infringing on their rights.

If you knew that a burglar was going to rob your neighbor would you warn your neighbor,

Or just allow him to be robbed?


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I think you oversimplify your "stool pigeon" argument so that you can call people nosy.

To be honest, I don't believe that any of this is actually IP or copyright theft.

I think too much has been made in SL of the ability to protect "copyright" and "IP".

When I walk around SL, I see a lot of beautiful digital craftmanship, I see very little original design.

I appreciate that migrating an idea or design from RL to SL takes a lot of time and commitment however, unfair as it may be, hard work and effort is not a measure of originality.

All I can say is (and to paraphrase Alan Sugar) in my role as owner of a small software business I've written books on copyright and IP law... cheque books

lol.. ok that's overstating it a wee bit, but I've spent a fair bit of money and to be honest don't feel any more secure from piracy or IP theft than I did before.

It's just not simple to identify what can and can't be protected because it's not simple to identify where the originality is in any design or piece of work.

Also to be honest, most of what I see in SL are digitized versions of designs and ideas which are actually copyright and IP theft from RL designers.

As an example, taking an image or idea from your favourite RL shirt, digitizing it and uploading a virtual version into SL might be hard work, but doesn't entitle you to any protection. In fact it might be said that you, yourself are guilty of some infringement.

I'm not against protection of ideas and original creativity, as I've tried to show.. I've been frustrated in RL by the law as it stands at present.. particularly in the digital media and software arenas.

Finally I'd like to draw a distinction between protection of creativity and trademarks/brands.

I've seen many copies of Nike trainers passed off as original design in SL, however what you don't see much of is the Nike logo.

So perhaps the best idea is to build a brand which is distinctive and original, this is more easily protected and in all honesty a creative exercise in itself.

At the end of the day we'd probably all sleep better in our beds if we took Coco Chanel's view that imitation reflects the highest form of flattery..[/QUOTE






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Damn, you're good.

More or less you said some of the same things I did but you said in a nice way whereas, I didn't due to fact I like being blunt and crass at times just to get my point across really quick. Especially when doing it in here.

Some of these people have "stolen" themselves in the products they sell as they're not affiliated with the brand names they tend to use in selling their stuff either. Then they'll be the first to turn around and complain about theft of their wares. Tsk, tsk, shame, shame.

Unbelievable!


I had to come back. I'm thinking "sticky" for Stephen's post so next time they want to complain about theft or whenever their self delusions and paranoia begins to kick in they can come and take a peek to soothe their senses.

/me rubs salve on his wounds

Just make sure you get it in the right spot.

I will. I'll shine my face lamp and bling all over you and promise not to miss a spot.

My place?