Creative Content Protection?

Ok this may sound like a really dumb question but when you talk about creative content protection and the fact that what you create is owned by you.. Does that include your business model and practices?

Every successful business in the world can trace its roots back to a strong proactive business model. So when I started my second life business, I formulated a plan including advertising and marketing demographics. Now some of you may think this is a tad overboard but um I have two words for you ....Anshe Chung.

No I’m not trying to be the next Anshe Chung but I do work hard to make my ideas come to life. And now I’m seeing one person who happens to sell the same things I do, practically copying everything I’m doing in my business, right down to my signature line and even the damn font I use.

Now if this were the real world and someone did that... I would sue their asses for corporate Identity theft in a heartbeat. You wouldn't see someone running around selling their soda in a can almost identical to Pepsi's, with the same ad campaign, using the same verbiage would you? Hell no! PepsiCo would have a cow and throw an army of lawyers at you.

So yeah... there is protection against people stealing your textures and what you create but does that include your identity as a business? I worked very hard to come up with my own style of business and now some bimbo is out there copying everything I’m doing... she's even using similar styles of the type of clothing I’m making. She NEVER used those styles before and now all of a sudden her entire business looks like a clone of mine? WTF!

Just because the can looks the same... the ads sound the same and the company pretends to be the same... doesn't mean the soda in that can isn't going to taste like shit. In this case I'm happy to know that in one aspect she's failing miserably. I'm selling outfits that are 10 - 15 pieces for 500L or less and she's selling two piece outfits for the same money.

Despite all that... I'm still very ticked off that something like this is allowed. If everyone is so protective of their creative content... it should be across the board and not just selective creative content. She is profiting from my success. And I’m sorry but it makes me want to walk right up to her avatar and kick her square in the ass for being a smacktard.

End of rant.

duplication is the sincerest form of flattery.

i dunno, do better than the said person, its your best weapon agains copy

I understand your thoughts on this. I know I would be completely ticked off too if someone did this to my business.... but what I would do is fight back.
You'll need to one-up your competition it seems.
You mentioned you would sue their asses off for identity theft.... It's not because in SL laws don't apply... it's because you dont have you SL business incorporated.
Why not copywright your logo and slogan?
Also, if people can copy your products exactly, then how original can your products be?
All I suggest is to constantly one-up your competition.. because otherwise, they're gonna one-up you.

There is no creative content protection for anything in Second Life. If you want to maintain some control over your content, don't build it in, upload it to, or implement it via The Grid All Hail The Central Grid.

We understand that anything we commit to Second Life enters the public domain else we are fools.

Thanks Kyrah, that may be a simple comment but it really did help put this into perspective for me. It's easy to get complacent or angry when your competition starts encroaching on your creative turf but perhaps instead of getting angry.. I need to just work on my footwork and keep two steps ahead of them

Something worse may happen. Somebody may come out with product that competes with yours that is better.

And eventually somebody will.

So. figure out what you're going to do when that happens ... and do it now.

1: product design, images and artistic works are covered by copyright. You can't make something identical to an iPod, but you can make something similar (how similar is too similar is up to the courts).

2: production methods, business models and ideas are covered by patents. Unless Anshe has patented her business style, you are free to copy it.

Copyright protection is automatically granted to the creator. Patents are not, and have to be applied for and won.

Musuko.