"IP REPLACEMENT" in inventory will be a cause for a insta-ban?

[feline Dagger]

I heard from someone (who'll remain nameless) today, that they heard that a sweep was going to be done. While i can fully understand and applaud LL desire to fight copybotting idiots within SL, I am curious, is it true that LL is going to be insta-banning anyone who has items etc in their inventory labelled with "IP REPLACEMENT"? I know some dances I brought some time ago from SLX were renamed to that, but that was like ages ago, akeyo and umm sinewave i believe), which I did have email about and promptly got rid of the content from my inventory.  But trouble is, LL are gona perma ban anyone found to have 'IP REPLACEMENT' renamed items in their inventory from tomorrow?

I can't understand why a ban would be placed on someone for purchasing what later turns out to be stolen crap.  The buyer doesnt always have means of figuring if what they're buying is 'legit' or not.  And i dont think those purchasing items should take the rap for what, is in effect, the fault of those who do the bullcrap ripping in the first place.  The copybotters should be reprimanded, and banned, not those who unknowngly purchase stolen content.

Again, im glad LL is fighting sl crime now, and taking measures to protect content creators (APPLAUDS THE LAB!), but this seems slightly doubious to me =/

 

• Edited to add: I just heard (few moments ago) from a friend in world stating this was a hoax.  Any truth to this?

[Dilbert Dilweg]

NO LL will not be insta banning users for this content in their folders. If you see IP REPLACEMENT in your folders just delete them and purge them and you have nothing to worry about. This is Linden Labs Cleaning up stolen items across the grid and in inventories.

Just ignore the panic messages you may have been seeing in group chats

The only ones who have to worry is the originators of the stolen goods

[Peewee Musytari]

Since you get an email when your stuff is taken by LL which says: Don`t panic this doesn`t mean you did anything wrong (or words to that effect) its hardly likely that they would then turn around and ban you.

[Claireschen Hesten]

until LL puts out some kind of official statement that accounts with ip infringment items will be banned it's not  true infact LL replaces items removed for ip infringment or have been copybotted with ip replacement items only the botters will get banned

[Innula Zenovka]

A friend of mine contacted me an hour or so ago inworld, asking the identical question (she'd heard it in a group, too).

I was able to reassure her by referring her to the LL Official Reply to the frequently asked question,

I received an IP complaint about content that I got from someone else, and I had no idea that it might be infringing. Am I in trouble?

[Josephina Bonetto]

Someone said this in my club earlier, my understanding always was once your content in your inventory was replaced with "IP Replacement" it was no longer usable, therefore no longer a live issue regardless of whether it is deleted or not.

 

Any ideas where this rumour started?

[Tink Wahwah]

There is no "sweep". LL does not search individual avi's inventories looking for copy-botted items. What does happen is this-

1- Content creator finds unauthorized copies, etc., of work they can prove is theirs.

2- They file an IP Complaint with LL

3- If complaint is valid, LL replaces all instances of that item (based on UUID) in the database with an appropriate (non-functional) IP Replacement object.

From the LL FAQ on the IP Complaint Process:  "We cannot be experts in others’ IP, nor can we verify that Residents have the necessary rights in the many millions of objects, textures, animations, scripts, and other content that they create, upload, and exchange in Second Life and on Xstreet SL. We need the help of rights owners in identifying and locating content that they believe infringes their IP.

 [http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Linden_Lab_Official:Frequently_Asked_Questions_on_the_IP_Complaint_Process]

 

[Peewee Musytari]

You are correct Josephina, I have had dance animations replaced by IP Replacement before and the replacement anims just make your avvie turn around on the spot and then stand still, basically no animation, i just deleted them but I can`t see any reason why LL would then bother to come back and ban me for having something in my inventory that they put there.

 

Its a silly rumour by the scaremongers that spread stories of objects that steal your account from you lol

[Sharon Ariantho]

Yes - this is a hoax. You cannot be banned for having an item named IP_REPLACEMENT in your inventory - lindens put it there!

When an item (in this case an animation) is decided to be illegally copied, lindens pull that item from ALL inventories (inside chimera, inside your inventory, inside a boxed item) and replace it with a simple animation (its just turning around slowly) called IP_REPLACEMENT. If you want, you can keep these remnants - but its pretty boring and not worth cluttering your inventory. You have no risk of being banned, obviously. If you are not making illegal copies - you will not be banned for having them. When the items are found in your inventory, you are given a form email that explains that they have been replaced. If you paid for these illegal animations - you will not get your money back. If you gave others a copy of these illegal animations, they will find them replaced in their inventory too.

The hoax is similar to the "there is a virus called XXXX tell everyone you know". This is bluntly the stupidest hoax around (what legitimate agency uses the "tell everyone you know" method of disseminating information?). Similar is the "so and so is a griefer stealing everything you own and removing your balance - ban them without cause now before they steal your balance" hoax. NO ONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND SHOULD FOLLOW THESE HOAXES - it is a way for griefers to cause trouble. In fact, innocent people are banned all the time because people will believe these unfounded statements without investigation. For complete info on the IP Infringement policy, look at http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Linden_Lab_Official:Frequently_Asked_Questions_on_the_IP_Complaint_Process

[LilMiss54]

This is what has happend to me yesterday, 7 dances have been removed from my hud.  I'm NOT happy!!!