copyright questions

okay i was talking to my partner about posting this and she said that good luck! because i want to have a discussion about this latest change happening september 14th without the usual linden bashing, i agree some lindens can be seen as snakes most likely not their intention, but i hope if you answer this post it is not to bash linden labs in any way for the changes they are making.

here's my question, with linden taking out real world items from second life based on copyright laws, how do we as creators of say.. cities other realistic areas keep the realism going without going against copyright laws? my idea is that we create our own SL based brands of say, ciggeretes, beer, soda, junk food and other things to make up for the lose of real world brands, but in doing this does it make SL less realistic? being a big fan of realism in SL i hope that i will be able to adapt to having unrealistic brands in game and not being able to walk around with say.. a pepsi which everyone would know is a soda. i'm posting this thread to hear your creative ideas on this subject, please do not take this thread and use it to bash linden, i cannot stress that enough.

::edit:: I also don't want to hear whining about how terrible it all is and how you and a billion people are leaving SL, lets try to be optimistic!

Guess it depends on who you talk to. I'm not a fan of realism at all. I will buy the most utterly fantastical thing I can, something that could only exist in SL, before I'll buy anything that looks like something from RL. As a consumer, not a creator, is my opinion important? I don't know; it's different from yours. I'll search out strictly 'made in SL' type items, furniture, houses, plants and am not into realistic at all. I used to be though, when I was new. It evolved over time.

I agree with Treasure. For a soft drink none are as refreshing as a BarCola from a vending machine in Nova Albion!

IMO, the less realism the better.

though that is your opinion, i happen to like the city sims and the more realistic look, thought at this moment i'm working on a sci-fi city that looks like a mix between the game dead space and a 50s diner! just figured i'd ask how i could keep that familiar feel without having to have real world stuff, which i'm not really big on anyway

your opinion is important to me or i wouldn't have posted this.

looked at your profile and i think you have to keep in mind that just because it's old world like pirates and stuff, that does not make it fantasy as opposed to realism, it just makes it old world realism... well unless your pirate ships fly, in which case i need one of those!

Back in the mid 90s I had a license to put NFL team logos on products and sell them in RL. I looked into doing it in SL when I first came on and the licensing costs would mean selling items for 1500 L$ I thought it was way too much. Maybe SL football team jerseys would be a better option. Anyone one up for a Zindra Zeolites baseball cap?

hehe, i was thinking something like that, or have a ciggerette company named after your avatar

Pirates? What are you on about?

in yur picks silly "Osprey Therian Clothing"

/me points to where Fudgey asks for opinions, takes a breath and says,

I see both real life name brands and fictional name brands in SL. I also see "SL" name brands, for instance Linden drinks at a hub in Zindra.

Having been a big fan of "Wacky Packages" in my time, I prefer fictional or parody brands. I also think real life brands will eventually lower the boom on copyright infringement in virtual worlds, so people who avoid that going in will have less work to do (no do-overs.)

well put, i like wacky brands too! i have an energy drink on my land called "liquid murder" then there's "diet murder" hehe

Sounds like an interesting sim! SLurl?

not done yet, i just started the remodeling about when i started this thread, it's part of the reason i posted it! to get ideas on how i could not use brand names and stuff like that, yet still be realistic, guess it's a dumb question that can be answered with "be creative!"

Not a dumb question at all. I hope you will update with a SLurl when done, and/or send out a few landmarks in world. I'd really like to see it.

They're not, they're taking them out based on trademark laws.

I made my own 'Forbidden Fruit' apple boxes for one of my installations, the end images are real life fruit box labels, I have amended text on them though and the 'Forbidden Fruit' logo is my design, would one consider this a trademark violation. Remember I make art in SL and take into account the work of Andy Wharol, Brillo boxes, Campbell's Soup packaging.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22475787@N04/3735452653/

If the logos aren't similar then it's probably "just" a copyright violation.

I have had a busy time of it trying to get my act in order here are 2 examples.
old left new right

TV shows call it "greeking."

Even in Greece?

Allow me to help you locate the correct place and time for this topic...

I don't spend much time in city sims here, but I know in the Sims I always preferred made-up brands and avoided the real Pepsi machines, McDonald's stands etc. like the plague. If I saw made-up brands here I likely either wouldn't know it was made up since I don't pay attention to brands anyway or would admire the creativity and attention to detail.

That said, I thought the consensus understanding had been that folks didn't really need to worry about it, if they were just using textures as background decoration and not trying to make money off it or wrapping their entire theme around it?

Note that Coke specifically has said that it's OK to make and distribute Coke branded and themed merchandise in SL.