Copyrighted material

Copyrighted material

I have a lot of ideas for product ranges that my company could develop within Second life. These have potential of high earnings, but some of them would take a lot of investment and development by our company and we probably would need to work closely with SL team to make sure that there are no problems.

The worry I have is if we develop a product what is to Ladenlab or anyone else creating the product themselves.

I feel very uneasy about how easy my ideas could be stolen and developed by others.

You should be as it happens all the time.

Some will say that we have IP rights and LL will do something if we submit in writing. Personally I have only heard that these are ignored and never once that something ever being done.

Ways of theft?
Some take animations from the internet and sell them IW as their own.
Some use a program to take textures from games.
Some use that program and steal the textures from others builds, skin and clothes.
Some sell freebies or other's products that have been bugged giving full permissions.
Some copy builds via a script that tells the permaters or by sight.

Hiya Stove!

Don't worry about having your ideas stolen. Ideas are cheap. It's the labour that's expensive. Hard work isn't so easy to copy in SL.

Starax is right. Idea's are a dime a dozen. They aren't worth anything. And IP laws recognize this and don't protect ideas.

Ah, but the implementation of an idea can be quite valuable. And there, IP laws do apply. You don't need to go to Linden Labs if someone violates your IP, you can use the same legal tools available to anyone in Real Life.

whats happen if the idea im devloping, lindin goes hmm thats a good one, we will develop it?

If you have put your idea in a tangible form, including electronic, that automatically gives you some copyright protections. If you want more protection, then you need to file a copyright (cheap and easy) or a patent or trademark (expensive). If you are not up on the differences of these IP protections, I recommend you discuss this with a lawyer.

Linden Labs has no more claim over your IP than does anyone else. So if they violate your IP, you can sue them.

But one must ask why they would do so. I guarantee you they have hundreds of great ideas of their own, for which they don't have the time or money to implement. Why bother stealing someone else's?

Linden Labs actually wants you to create new products and services, so they certainly are not going to do something that discourages creativity. They want a robust economy.

Ok, I think that answered my question

Hey Stove! Pleasure meeting you the other day.

Don't worry about people stealing/copying your ideas. It does happen, and LL does have a way for you to deal with egregious abuses of your IP (they do accept and process valid DMCA takedown requests on infringing materials). However, it is still rather rare. I would say to keep an eye out for it, but don't let it keep you from creating something unique and cool in the game.

As for ideas, if they are valuable enough, they will be copied, but there's nothing illegal about copying ideas. The difference is in the implementation, so it behooves you to make the best implementation you can, and keep it priced competitvely.

Ideas cannot be copyrighted. Any idea you bring into SL can legally (and correctly) be copied.

There are no idea monopolies in SL or the RW.

They've done it before... Gaming Open Market.

You'll have no recourse if they decide to do this.