it is about time for developer certification.

people suffer too much from "it hasn't happen to me so i don't care" syndrome around here.

how about i create some alts and go steal some of your stuff and then let's hear what you think

Too late, it has already been done: /108/72/118480/1.html

And yes, I have had people rip off my work before. Telling new people they cannot create content is not the answer.

Well, the issue with certification thing is... you etiher make it very strict, double checked etc so that's actually of some use. But which puts real damp on amount of people who can actually get certified and hence produce content. Or you make it relatively lax. At which point it becomes nothing really but deterrant for casual, "normal" people. While a would-be thief can lie about their identity and steal as much as they want :/

Telling new accounts created by someone without any identifying RL contact that they can't upload content is perfectly fine. There are many instances in RL where the same rules apply. You can't fly on an airplane without proper ID. You can't hand off a personal check without proper ID. You can't rent a car . . . you can't buy alcohol(you show your age, or look the age) . . .you can't drive a car . . . etc. None of these things can be done legally without some sort of accountability.

"Accountability" is all I've ever asked for.

1. How many perfect strangers can be trusted to remain honest with no accountability (complete anonymity)?

2. How many people would leave thier baby with a perfect stranger?

I would hope the numbers in both these answers are close to equal. If not, then I hope the answer to #2 is zero.

None of these examples are anything like uploading a texture or sound.

Yes, I create quite a bit of content. I create it for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of those people I choose to share it with. Why else would I be pitching a fit over these proposed licenses and fees?



Sure. And that would make you a THIEF, not a content creator.



... and this would make you a griefer.

There are avenues already in place for dealing with these types of miscreants.



I'm less bothered by this option. That way people who don't want to be certified can still create stuff for thier own use. Even still though, like I said, I create stuff for my own use but also to give to friends who might also enjoy using it. This avenue of sharing would be cut off.



And yet it is screwing creative people over and restricting the creation of content that your OP advocates by way of restricting the tools of content creation.

As for accountability, as far as I can see that went right out the window on June 6th. There must be other means of accountability other than changing the very nature of SL.

In the past (and right now, arguably) SL has been about creating things. Almost everyone, if not everyone, created things. 'Developer certification' turns that on its head and makes SL about consuming things. Everyone can consume, but only the certified few would be allowed to create.

It just ain't right.

-Ghoti

Then tell me how you prove the textures or sounds are not stolen if you can't prove who uploaded them, or where they came from?

I am 100% behind account verification.

I am 100% behind watermarking of files as they are uploaded to SL with the idea of being able to prove 'earliest upload' type ownership verification.

-Ghoti

1) Can you prove that you are the original source for a texture?
2) If you use a public domain source (As a quick search engine check will show you a few thosand) for your textures, if someone else uses that same source, is it stealing?
3) Is it possible to prove that the skin your created for an object is a lift from someones personal copyrighted material from elsewhere?
4) Can you prove it is really you who owned the original copyrighted material?

... and so on and so on...

People, what I think we are losing sight of is that this is the NET. If you put something up on it, it will be stolen, recreated, hacked, folded, spindled, and mutilated in the worse possible fashion. There are so many walking copyright violations that are running around this game that I wouldn't even want to begin to count them. Funmation alone could have a law suit at any given time, not to mention the Estate of Norman.

IF you put content that can be modified, expect it to be stolen, tweaked, resold by uncreative hacks. If you do not wish it to be stolen, make it unmoddable. It's simple.

People can only steal what you give them the right to.

First you have to tell me how uploading a texture is like flying an airplane. I'm very interested to know.

Ok. Depending on your viewpoint, SL does not have a huge amount of peple actually inhabiting the world. That makes this world very small compared to our real lives.

Why do we require identification for such things IRL? Because if any idiot can become a pilot with no ID and no training (no accountability), they can cause major harm to themselves, and those around them (the world).

When the world is much smaller, smaller things become larger issues.

Someone copying your work in a world where "your work" is the entire reason for being in the world in the first place, I'd call that a major issue, and a harm to the world (and public opinion of that world) at large. Why make any content when you can:
A: Steal it from someone else
B: If you do create it, someone else will do A.

Its called a chilling effect.

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How do you propse watermarking textures in such a way as that they can't be seen (would YOU want to buy a texture that has someone's name all through it?) and yet can be traced back to J. Random Thief who just pulled the texture out of his video card's memory?

Right now, anyone, ANYONE, from Joe Cheapskate to Tom Greifer can copy any texture by simply looking at it. And there's nothing you or LL can do about it

Sounds? Even easier.

Objects? Only safe if they're no mod. Same with scripts.
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And i'm still all for this idea, as it gives unverifieds a reason to become verified!

To all the numbered references above I can answer YES.

Have I released anything new in the last 6 months? NO

Has LL done anything to make the situation better? NO

Is the situation worse with totally anonymous accounts? YES

Everything I have released into SL has been stolen. That's not surprising at all. So I agree with your statement that web based content is at risk. I don't agree that we have to accept that as a norm. Some people are still willing pay for my skins. I guess you can call that a donation if you like. I've already made my work time back in sales so I guess I'm ok with the old content, but I sure won't be putting out new content until the situation in SL is better.

I'll answer that if you can fly as a passenger on an airplane with no ID

What sorts of bad things can happen by rezing something from someone?

If you can rez it you can steal it. Bad enough?

Huh?

So the message to new people trying SL out is: "You cant create anything until you spend money. But once you do create something people will steal your work. Wanna sign up?"

So you're saying that pilots should be able to freely upload textures to SL?

Ok, I laughed at that one.

Welcome to the real world (cheesy Matrix reference there). That's basically the reality of things as it stands right now. New people will buy things for a short while until they find out they can steal it. Some people CHOOSE to support products they like. If people want all the options that I have with my skins then they have to show up in my transaction history. That kind of system works for software companies that deal with just as much IP theft. It works for me too.

Sure, why not, as long as they want to tell LL who they are. In fact, anyone that wants to tell LL who they are can do so.

Wait, I thought you said uploading textures was like flying an airplane? We can't have, say, college students uploading textures to SL all willy nilly...they can't fly a plane!

Unless the college student is also a pilot, in which case I say let them upload sounds too.

Like, what?



Again, like what? I'm all ears. I don't care if it's my solution, I just want *a* solution.

You mean the same folks who can't edit an event list to delete non-compliant "events" would be certifying what?

Newsflash. LL doesn't want to enforce IP rights. It is not in their best interest to get involved any more directly than they legally have to (i.e. by having publicised DMCA takedown procedures).