Copybot?

For the newcomer, the number of things one needs to know about can be somewhat overwhelming. Have only now for the first time heard about copybot. Is that still a threat, or has the issue already passed?

Xylo

Copybot even when it was around wasnt that large of a threat, at least in my eyes, it was easily defeated and it did not work on scripted items which is the biggest issue, at least in my eyes, alot of non scripted items were copied but all in all it was overhyped.

Agreed, it was way overhyped. Don't worry about it, Xylo.

So you know, if someone really wants to copy anything you have on display in SL, they will, copybot or no copybot. Any and all data that can be displayed on your screen or played through your speakers can be captured. There's absolutely no way to prevent that. No, I won't be posting instructions for how, and please no one else do so either.

The reason scripts can't be copied is they only exist server-side, but all 3D geometry and textures have to be sent to your video card in order for you to see them, and all sounds need to be sent to your sound card in order for you to hear them. Once there, they can be extracted.

Again, please, no one say how. The fact that this CAN be done is hardly a secret, but that doesn't mean we should make it any easier to accomplish. You don't leave your front door unlocked just because you know a lock can be picked by anyone who really wants to take the time to do it.

The concerns over this kind of data being available are similar to the concerns companies had about the Web in the early 90's. "Whoa, we can't have website. If we did, people could steal our logo off it. We can't allow that." At the time, such arguments seemed very legitimate, but now, a decade and a half later, we all know the benefits of web presence outweigh the drawbacks of trademar/copyright infringement a thousand fold.

You'll find the same is true in SL. Sure, people can steal your stuff if you put it out there, but the only alternative is not putting it out there at all, and where's the benefit in that?

Some fairly knowledgable people tested what CopyBot could and could not do. In short, it was dificult to use, and didn't do as much as a lot of people initially feared. But the biggest thing that reduced Copybot from "Threat" status to "Annoyance" was that Linden Lab actually made a clear policy statement that using Copybot or similar methods to steal content was a bannable offense. For most people, stealing a few textures or prims isn't worth possibly losing all their accounts and in-world assets.

Alright, thank you, everyone. One less issue to be concerned about.

Xylo

That's not really a valid comparison. Commerce on the web isn't typically selling what you see on a website. What you're buying is something else that isn't exposed until after someone has purchased. The only somewhat comparable cases are stock photos and porn. They face the same issues we do. Websites in general, no. The big problem in SL is that everything we sell is WYSIWYG and exists only in a very small fishbowl economy where having someone open source your creations against your will has a hugely greater potential to dillute the legitimate market. I wouldn't downplay the risks just to allay people's fears. They're quite justified. Copybot wasn't the start of this problem so in that sense it was overhyped. The reason it got the attention it did was because it put prrim based creations at the same risk that texture based creators had already been facing for a long time.

The vast majority of people are honest and will aquire things honestly if given a choice between that and a more convoluted dishonest method. That's not much of a comfort however since it only takes one person to rip your content. Many honest people will then get it from that person without ever knowing that they're getting illegitimate goods.

The bottom line is that there's not a damn thing any of us can do about it so worrying about it too much isn't going to do anything but give us all ulcers. The best protection you can have in SL is a strong brand name and reputation. That increases the odds that people will find your product first, before they stumble across someone selling bootleg versions. A fly by night bootlegger is highly unlikely to ever build a reputation or get well known, and if they do it won't be the kind of reputation anyone wants.

So, don't worry about it too much, but don't pretend that the problem is lesser than it is. It's just an unfortunate fact of life in SL commerce. My two cents anyway.

Nor was it the end.


Most excellent advice.