References to Real world brands in Second Life

[Gopi Passiflora]

My question this time is a bit silly, but simple: how do you feel about references to real world brands in Second Life?

I think it's amusing to see real world brands such as McDonald's and Coca Cola in Second Life. I know there's no copyright issues involved with stuff like food and drink brands as long as you're portraying them positively - and if so, it's free advertising for them. I have even partaken in putting some stuff like a Coca Cola machine and a KFC restaurant in my own parcel. I can see how this can be tacky to some people though.

[Ayashe Ninetails]

5 minutes ago, Gopi Passiflora said:

I know there's no copyright issues involved with stuff like food and drink brands as long as you're portraying them positively - and if so, it's free advertising for them.

What?

[Gopi Passiflora]

Just now, Ayashe Ninetails said:

What?

Or maybe I'm wrong about that?

[Ayashe Ninetails]

1 minute ago, Gopi Passiflora said:

Or maybe I'm wrong about that?

I dunno. That's a new one to me.

You can request trademark usage permissions from McDonald's on their website. Not sure about Coke. I haven't seen any of those brands in SL, though. I've seen creators use renamed versions with different logos and things, but not the actual brand names themselves.

[JUSTUS Palianta]

I think it's okay to use stuff at home but not if you're selling it. 

If it's a public place its possible someone from KFC comes to your land and DMCA you though because they own the brand.

[bigmoe Whitfield]

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[bigmoe Whitfield]

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[Bree Giffen]

https://lindenlab.com/legal/second-life-terms-and-conditions

See paragraph 6.

It's discouraged but I don't think anyone's going to notice if you made your own cans of Coke and boxes of KFC to decorate your kitchen table. 

[elleevelyn]

maybe I could approach Coke/KFC/etc and pitch them on the benefits for them of my Products Placement on Parcel Plan

which I am fully confident will get zillions of views. Zillions of views which will go even more viral and get zillions of zillions of even more views, even tho I am a quite modest person as anybody can tell you

which will for sure result in their selling more product, like heaps and heaps more. And of course I would not say no in my modest way to some small recompense from them for giving them this wonderful opportunity to totes grow their sales with the resulting totally positive impact on their share price

+

sometime later

My Dear Modest Person

Thankyou but yeah nah!

Yours faithfully, President of Big Company

+

Dear President of Big Company who don't know n.o.t.h.i.n.g

yeah nah! your ownself

Yours faithfully, Modest Person (and way way cuter than you ! So there !! na-na-nah !!! )

 

 

 

[Gopi Passiflora]

Alright, thanks for the input everyone.

[Rat Luv]

20 hours ago, Gopi Passiflora said:

My question this time is a bit silly, but simple: how do you feel about references to real world brands in Second Life?

I think it's amusing to see real world brands such as McDonald's and Coca Cola in Second Life. I know there's no copyright issues involved with stuff like food and drink brands as long as you're portraying them positively - and if so, it's free advertising for them. I have even partaken in putting some stuff like a Coca Cola machine and a KFC restaurant in my own parcel. I can see how this can be tacky to some people though.

McDonalds used to have a SL sim! They had an order kiosk at the drive-in window that linked you to the real McDonalds US site.

I still see 'Adida' wear on Marketplace But I actually found it quite useful when people sold boots as Converse or Dr Marten, as they're a certain style as well as a brand. I think the actual companies are busy enough trying to stop RL counterfeits without worrying about SL too much...if they even think about SL at all? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[HeathcliffMontague]

9 hours ago, Rat Luv said:

I think the actual companies are busy enough trying to stop RL counterfeits without worrying about SL too much...if they even think about SL at all? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Harley Davidson had this pretty huge clampdown in SL some time ago. Got one very prolific MC creator banned, which led to this major name changing thing among builders. It resulted in some "Duca"s and "Sozuk"s for a while, but most just name their things stuff like Black Devil or Speed Demon now. I've got a bike called Elwood  

[elleevelyn]

9 minutes ago, HeathcliffMontague said:

I've got a bike called Elwood  

i like it when SL creatives are confident enough to create their own brands. Confident to let their work speak for itself

 

[Caroline Takeda]

On 12/10/2023 at 3:29 AM, Gopi Passiflora said:

Or maybe I'm wrong about that?

Yes you are wrong about that.

[Lindal Kidd]

On 12/10/2023 at 12:52 AM, elleevelyn said:

maybe I could approach Coke/KFC/etc and pitch them on the benefits for them of my Products Placement on Parcel Plan

No need, in the case of Coke. Way back before 2007, Coke gave permission to use their logo in Second Life. I don't know what other RL brands have done so. (And @Gopi Passiflora, it IS a trademark violation to use a RL brand's logo without permission. Technically, the proper thing to do is to ask the company before doing so.)