Is there any penalty for copybotting?

[Pamela Galli]

I filed the DMCA, I filed an AR three times, I have a copy of the copybotted item with the copybotter's name as creator on every prim -- and he is still here. Why is this now? Whose side is LL on?

[Celestiall Nightfire]

I'm sorry to read this Pamela. 

I know how hard you work to create, and how utterly maddening it must be, to see your work stolen.    Have you filed a support ticket?   (in addition to the other methods you've mentioned)  

[Pamela Galli]

Thanks Celestiall -- no, have not filed a ticket. Might as well. I just wonder if it is LL's policy to remove copiers or leave them to copy again. First time for me.

[Snickers Snook]

How long has it been since you took all those actions? Things like this can take weeks and in some cases, months.

[Robert Galland]

I believe they do not have a one strike and you are out rule, though they should.  I have never seen a copybotter be banned after serving a dmca.  Of course, we are not allowed to know what people who violate the terms of service receive as punishment because of the offender's "privacy interests." 

[Jenni Darkwatch]

IMO it's time to stir the pot in a similar uproar as the RZ **bleep**storm. There ARE things LL can do. They're just, for whatever reason, not going to do anything until Merchants band together and raise hell.

[Luna Bliss]

Pamela wrote:

"I filed the DMCA, I filed an AR three times, I have a copy of the copybotted item with the copybotter's name as creator on every prim -- and he is still here. Why is this now? Whose side is LL on?"

Maybe they switched to the Sesame Street channel where everything is free.

[Pamela Galli]

I do not understand why someone who steals my stuff is given the opportunity to steal X more times before he is banned. What is the purpose of this? It was not something done accidentally. Not an oopsie. He stole it, made a nice box for it, and listed it on the MP with his company name.

And that doesn't even include the pages and pages of items being resold full perm. Yes, everyone, feel free to take everything you have ever bought full perm and open up a store with it. Won't that be interesting?

[Luna Bliss]

I know it's advised to let LL take care of the matter lest they go underground...but I would message the guy with a threatening wall-o-text (if you have the theft well documented).  I did that once and my content on the MP was gone in a matter of minutes. At least nobody else would get your full perm stuff (if he is selling it with full perms).

[Madeliefste Oh]

I'm sorry to hear this happened to you, Pamela.

The only thing LL does for you is delete the stolen item out of his inventory. When you know names of alts of the copybotter they will investigate them too. (I'm not sure, but my impression is that they don't even investigate alts for copies when you don't know to name those alts.)

When I had my first IP infringment I asked for the rl name and adress of my infringer. They did not give it to me, though I'm sure they have it, cause this person rents a sim from LL.

This person is still active in SL, still has his sim, and is still stealing from people. They know it, and they let him. LL seems to care more about it's copybotters then about their victims.

[Paladin Pinion]

I'm really sorry to hear about that Pamela. I remember how I felt when someone stole and resold Mote. It was one of the most upsetting things I've been though, and not so much because of the monetary loss but because of the sense of betrayal and injustice.

If it helps, it only took LL a few days to respond to my DMCA. I think in my case they did remove the offender's account; at least, he didn't show up in search after that. It might depend on how severe the offense was. In my case he was pretending to be me, and claiming he was part of my company, and he posted an altered version of my copyright notice.

I too asked for a name and didn't get one, but later found out that they won't give out info without a legal supoena. By then I was too tired of the whole mess to pursue it any more.