If I take photos in SecondLife, are they useable in Real Life to sale and make Real Life money?

[InsideOut Clip]

I love photographry ... I would like to take some photo's in SecondLife and use them in the real world to make money.  Is there any law that prevents me form doing this?  Is it similar to taking photos in the Real World and making money by saling them?  or using them on calendars, posters, puzzles, etc. ? 

 

 

[Trinity Yazimoto]

"As long as you comply with the terms and conditions below, both Linden Lab and the Residents of Second Life (collectively, “we”) grant you the following copyright licenses:

1. A License To Capture. You may take snapshots and capture machinima of the 3D content we created that is displayed in-world, and
2. A License To Use. You may use the resulting snapshot or machinima within or outside of Second Life in any current or future media."

In short you can. As long as you respect this : http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Linden_Lab_Official:Snapshot_and_machinima_policy

the restrictions are mainly about privacy, asking consent in some cases. And you cant use trademarks of LL or residents.  Read the page i linked, all is there. 

[Elsbeth Writer]

The short answer is yes.You do need to conform to the Terms of Service and don't take pictures of copyrighted graphics. if in doubt, ask the owner.

I do landscape photography inworld and have used Redbubble.com where you can sell them as prints, etc. There are other sites as well

[Nalates Urriah]

The answers so far are good, with one exception. The logos, trademarks, and copyrights...

You can take a picture that includes logos, trademarks, and copyrights and use it for profit... DEPENDING on whether the picture is just the logo, trademark, or copyrighted item and how you use it. If it is a small part of the picture and the point of the picture about more than just the logos, trademarks, and copyrights.

The logo, trademark, or copyright owner is unlikely to complain about your including their trademark in a picture unless you are using their logos, trademarks, and copyrights to promote your competing product. Also if you use the logos, trademarks, and copyrights in a libelous or slanderous or derogatory way, you can find yourself in a law suite.

To undestand what is misuse, libelous, slanderous, or considered derogatory read about using the logo that you expect to have in an image. Linden Lab has a section in the Knowledge base about use of their logo. Most other companies post on their web site the tems os use for their logos and other protected IP.

In general, outside of product/service promotional material, you have considerable free speech rights that allow you to use protected IP in spite of how the owners may try to restict you are tell you otherwise. If any significant money is involved ask an attorny before you do whatever.

There is a lot of CYA in the Lab's ToS and other legal docs. But, there are national and other laws about the use of logos, trademarks, and copyrights that are far less restrictive. Theoretically none can violate your free speech rights. But, hate speech and being PC are huge infringements of those rights and a major win for the side of repression that strives to silence diversity and opposing thought. The ToS of a private company can limit what you say within their service. You have to figure out how to balance everything and decide how far you are willing to go.