Account Locked...need clarification

[MonkeyJacksen]

So my account has been locked out for a week...and this is what I received in email:

Dear MonkeyJacksen Resident,

 

This email is notification of action regarding your Second Life account, MonkeyJacksen Resident, for violation of the Second Life Terms and Conditions or Community Standards.

 

 

Violation: Notification for Violation of Second Life Marketplace Listing Guidelines

 

Under our Second Life Marketplace Listing Policies, specific activities are disallowed, including but not limited to Item or Keyword Spam, Listings for harmful or disruptive content, and Anti-Competitive or Abusive Behavior, which includes using alternate or related accounts to purchase or rate your own items. Branded items may be listed or sold only by the brand or intellectual property owner or its authorized agents.

 

Please review the SECOND LIFE MARKETPLACE FEE AND LISTING POLICIES at: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/listing_guidelines. Also, please see Disallowed Actions: Item or Keyword Spam at:

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/listing_guidelines#keyword-spam.

 

 

Action:

As a result of this violation, your Second Life account is being temporarily suspended for a period of 7 days. It will return to active status on Thursday, February 07, 2019.

 

Appeal Process: 

The decision to suspend your Second Life access was reached after investigation of your use of the Second Life software and service. If you would like to appeal your suspension, you may contact Second Life Support by filing a support ticket at https://support.secondlife.com/create-case.

 

For more information on this process, please see this KnowledgeBase article http://bit.ly/hBIjz

 

Please provide relevant information that you believe would explain the above violation.  Linden Lab reserves sole discretion in considering whether to take any action on an appeal.

 

 

Sincerely,

Linden Lab

 

---

 

 

Could someone please clarify what I did wrong?  I don't understand the keyword spam abuse I am accused of.  I only put the different body sizes and a few words about the item in the search box when listing an item on MP.  How is that spam?

Thank you for ANY help...I am so frustrated because I have breedables that will be neglected during this time.  

I truly do not understand what I did wrong!

Monkey

[Lindal Kidd]

We can't answer that one, Monkey.  Even if you gave us complete information on your listing(s) and keywords, we could only guess.

Your best bet is to follow the appeal process LL pointed you to, and request more specific information on what violation you got suspended for.  Try phrasing it as "I need to know more about exactly what I did to violate the policy, so I don't do it again."

[Cindy Evanier]

I looked briefly at your store.  I wonder if its the use of images such as Tigger on your t-shirts.

[MonkeyJacksen]

13 minutes ago, Lindal Kidd said:

We can't answer that one, Monkey.  Even if you gave us complete information on your listing(s) and keywords, we could only guess.

Your best bet is to follow the appeal process LL pointed you to, and request more specific information on what violation you got suspended for.  Try phrasing it as "I need to know more about exactly what I did to violate the policy, so I don't do it again."

Yes, and I am still waiting to hear back from the IP team in regards to what I did wrong.  Opening a ticket to appeal did nothing.  They just closed it and told me to email ipteam@secondlife.com for further details.  Just very frustrating because I have breedables in world I can not manage.

Monkey

[MonkeyJacksen]

5 minutes ago, Cindy Evanier said:

I looked briefly at your store.  I wonder if its the use of images such as Tigger on your t-shirts.

And yes I could understand that...however...there are MANY others with items such as that on Marketplace.  If that is the issue, then say it in the email and give me a chance to remove the items in question at least.

Monkey

[LittleMe Jewell]

13 minutes ago, MonkeyJacksen said:

Yes, and I am still waiting to hear back from the IP team in regards to what I did wrong.  Opening a ticket to appeal did nothing.  They just closed it and told me to email ipteam@secondlife.com for further details.  Just very frustrating because I have breedables in world I can not manage.

Monkey

I wouldn't expect a ban unless you had already had items unlisted because of violations - each of which would have triggered an email to you. Have you had things unlisted recently before this ban happened?  

Not being an MP merchant, I don't know for sure, but "IP Team" sounds like an "Intellectual Property" infringement issue.  That makes me think that Cindy is closer to the truth here.  The answer of "well many others are doing it" never flies.  That just means the others haven't been reported/caught yet.  LL does not actively browse the MP looking for violations.  It is all based on others reporting of things.

Edited February 2, 2019 by LittleMe Jewell

[Ethan Paslong]

10 minutes ago, MonkeyJacksen said:

And yes I could understand that...however...there are MANY others with items such as that on Marketplace.  If that is the issue, then say it in the email and give me a chance to remove the items in question at least.

Monkey

not to be harsh, but "many others" aren't you, and aren't helping you. You have to deal with your own responsibilities, and you got caught. You'r suspended for a week, and after that you can ..and háve to, repair the listings in your store. Do as told, read the guidelines, and read the listing requirements. Keyword spam is one of the worst things happening, if you use one non related word in the list you already have the risk on removal or if it's bad, suspension or even permanent ban.

If i see for example, a black tanktop, it's in the description a tanktop, but in the keywords also, but also a t shirt, sexy, promo, this guy, hands, wife, loves , love , mesh project (double also as tmp) gets kinda irrelevant and can scam the searchresults. I'ts not unthinkable this also got reported. Checked a few more, and your keyword choice is questionable on multiple items.

Edited February 2, 2019 by Ethan Paslong

[MonkeyJacksen]

19 minutes ago, Ethan Paslong said:

not to be harsh, but "many others" aren't you, and aren't helping you. You have to deal with your own responsibilities, and you got caught. You'r suspended for a week, and after that you can ..and háve to, repair the listings in your store. Do as told, read the guidelines, and read the listing requirements. Keyword spam is one of the worst things happening, if you use one non related word in the list you already have the risk on removal or if it's bad, suspension or even permanent ban.

If i see for example, a black tanktop, it's in the description a tanktop, but in the keywords also, but also a t shirt, sexy, promo, this guy, hands, wife, loves , love , mesh project (double also as tmp) gets kinda irrelevant and can scam the searchresults. I'ts not unthinkable this also got reported. Checked a few more, and your keyword choice is questionable on multiple items.

Isn't the whole point of the keyword search to get it into as many searches as possible as a merchant?  TMP is "the mesh project" is it not?

To be honest, I am more than likely closing the store as soon as I reinstated as it just not worth the headache anymore of dealing with it.

Monkey

[MonkeyJacksen]

22 minutes ago, LittleMe Jewell said:

I wouldn't expect a ban unless you had already had items unlisted because of violations - each of which would have triggered an email to you. Have you had things unlisted recently before this ban happened?  

Not being an MP merchant, I don't know for sure, but "IP Team" sounds like an "Intellectual Property" infringement issue.  That makes me think that Cindy is closer to the truth here.  The answer of "well many others are doing it" never flies.  That just means the others haven't been reported/caught yet.  LL does not actively browse the MP looking for violations.  It is all based on others reporting of things.

That is what bothers me the most...someone is reporting the items more than likely.  And yes, I had a couple items removed before this ban...and no I did not relist them.  I never relist an item once it is removed.

Thank you for the reply,

Monkey

[Ethan Paslong]

4 minutes ago, MonkeyJacksen said:

Isn't the whole point of the keyword search to get it into as many searches as possible as a merchant?  TMP is "the mesh project" is it not?

yes indeed for RELEVANT searches, NOT as many as possible.
to that last: TMP is indeed the mesh project, but not needed to mention that multiple times in one keyword string.

Seriously... read the guidelines, or you'll get a lot more reported after you pulled attention to yourself now by posting this all.

Edited February 2, 2019 by Ethan Paslong

[MonkeyJacksen]

2 minutes ago, Ethan Paslong said:

yes indeed for RELEVANT searches, NOT as many as possible.
to that last: TMP is indeed the mesh project, but not needed to mention that multiple times ine one keyword string.

So it is redundant to say TMP and "the mesh project" under the keywords?

can I ask how you see what keywords I am using in my listing?

Monkey

[Ethan Paslong]

Just now, MonkeyJacksen said:

can I ask how you see what keywords I am using in my listing

keywords are simply public if you know how your browser works.

And yes repeating keywords and irrelevant ones are a big sin.

[So Whimsy]

As I am reading this, keyword spam is just one of the possibilities of why the OP has been suspended.

 

Quote

Under our Second Life Marketplace Listing Policies, specific activities are disallowed, including but not limited to Item or Keyword Spam, Listings for harmful or disruptive content, and Anti-Competitive or Abusive Behavior, which includes using alternate or related accounts to purchase or rate your own items. Branded items may be listed or sold only by the brand or intellectual property owner or its authorized agents.

Item or Keyword Spam

It could be literally any of these things, or even a combination of them.

 

If I may speculate....those 5 star reviews look fishy. Like they're written by the same person, names are similar, too. Next to the tons of IP infrigments my money would be on that as I wonder if any previously pulled items we don't see have any reviews

[MonkeyJacksen]

4 minutes ago, Syn Anatine said:

As I am reading this, keyword spam is just one of the possibilities of why the OP has been suspended.

 

It could be literally any of these things, or even a combination of them.

 

If I may speculate....those 5 star reviews look fishy. Like they're written by the same person, names are similar, too. Next to the tons of IP infrigments my money would be on that as I wonder if any previously pulled items we don't see have any reviews

They are friends that bought things that I ask to go review...seriously...not even the same people.  And yes, as soon as I get the account back, will be pulling the whole store.  No point in this much aggravation anymore.

I wanted to do this as a creative outlet, not needing the money irl, it was simply a hobby and fun.  I don't even have an in world store.

It's no longer fun.

Monkey

[Skell Dagger]

1 hour ago, MonkeyJacksen said:

Branded items may be listed or sold only by the brand or intellectual property owner or its authorized agents.

41 minutes ago, MonkeyJacksen said:

told me to email ipteam@secondlife.com

44 minutes ago, Cindy Evanier said:

I wonder if its the use of images such as Tigger on your t-shirts.

The IP team will be the Intellectual Property team, and if - as Cindy mentions - you're using an image of Tigger on your t-shirts, then that IP is owned by Disney. The Mouse is very, VERY protective of Disney IP and actively chases violations of it, so I'm not surprised you've experienced repercussions, as per the quoted section at the top of my post here from the email that you received. "Other people do it" is not an excuse. They just haven't been found out/reported yet.
 

Quote

 

On 19 February 2007 Disney lost a court case in Los Angeles which ruled their "misguided claims" to dispute the licensing agreements with Slesinger, Inc. were unjustified, but a federal ruling of 28 September 2009, again from Judge Florence-Marie Cooper, determined that the Slesinger family had granted all trademarks and copyrights to Disney, although Disney must pay royalties for all future use of the characters. Both parties have expressed satisfaction with the outcome.

[source]

 

 

[So Whimsy]

 

5 minutes ago, MonkeyJacksen said:

I wanted to do this as a creative outlet

There is zero creativity on your part since you resortet to tons of copyright infringment and IP theft. Zero.

6 minutes ago, MonkeyJacksen said:

They are friends that bought things that I ask to go review

*slowly walks away whistling*

[LittleMe Jewell]

You should be able to figure out which items have already been delisted and thus should be able to make some logical guesses as the reasons.  If it has anything to do with you using Disney stuff, then you can expect to see the rest of such items using such disappear from your MP soon.  

Word of advice - even if it wasn't the Disney items causing this battle, if you keep you MP store after this, definitely get rid of all the Disney image stuff.

[MonkeyJacksen]

16 minutes ago, LittleMe Jewell said:

You should be able to figure out which items have already been delisted and thus should be able to make some logical guesses as the reasons.  If it has anything to do with you using Disney stuff, then you can expect to see the rest of such items using such disappear from your MP soon.  

Word of advice - even if it wasn't the Disney items causing this battle, if you keep you MP store after this, definitely get rid of all the Disney image stuff.

No, I am getting rid of the store altogether...again, it was just a hobby...a hobby I have had for four years.  Someone is after me and it is just not worth the battle anymore.

Thank you to everyone for the feedback!

Monkey

[Ethan Paslong]

Just now, MonkeyJacksen said:

Someone is after me

if you used copyrighted or branded materials the only one to blame is yourself.

[So Whimsy]

Well then it's by your own making. If you had played by the rules, nobody would have any reason or possible leeway to be 'going after you'.