I'm looking for answers...PLEASE HELP!

[Reyna Wirefly]

I'm not sure if most of you know what is going on in your countries regarding "internet censorship" also known as ACTA = Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. Similar laws were shot down but the topics are not dead in the USA regarding SOPA/PIPA. These laws were made to stop "internet piracy" but if you research more it is not only about piracy, it is about censoring/policing the world wide web. Please google if you haven't heard about these. These are REAL WORLD issues so I'm here looking for answers...

How will this effect the people of Second Life? Does this mean DJ's in Second Life will be no more? If these laws are passed could this mean if we are streaming music to people that we'd be infringing the copyright laws by "sharing" our love for music?

What about creators? For example... If you use something like "hello kitty" in your designs (not saying you do but if you did) we all know how cute hello kitty is :P or lets say you've created something but it looks kinda like hello kitty but IT'S NOT...but resembles it, would this be considered copyright infringement? If you've used something from google in your designs but don't know if it has been copyrighted or not you might want to check.

What about designers who use templates? Have you noticed that most of the file sharing sites have been shut down? Most template designers use these sites for you to download psd files.

What does this mean for video bloggers? Are we also at risk of copyright infringement for using Second Life avatars in our vids? Are we at risk for using a copyrighted song in our videos? Does this mean if we upload our video's to "youtube", "facebook" or any other vid sharing sites we could be fined an charged under these new laws? Does this mean we could risk these websites to be shut down since the material we used is copyrighted if we upload to them?

What about bloggers? Does this mean if we use our avatars in pictures on our blogs we are infringing copyright laws? We do not own our avatars, Second Life does. Most of us quote sayings, music lyrics, youtube links, embedded video  on our blogs, but if these laws pass does this mean we risk copyright infringement? From what I've researched.. Yes.

Most of us are here for the creative side of SL. We express ourselves in many ways whether it be music, designing clothing, art, blogging our views, making movies or just here for the fun an enjoyment SL has to offer. If these laws pass in your country what will happen to the future of Second Life? Depending on these laws which may be different but in the end they all have the same agenda.

Tomorrow January 26th, 2012 the Polish Government will be signing this agreement, so there is people who are fighting for their rights to use the internet, Fighting for our Freedom of Speech on the internet. (I'm not from Poland but I feel that everyone should be free to express themselves on the internet)

I'd like to hear your thoughts an views on these issues, before you start speaking please do your research!  Last but not least.... Most IMPORTANTLY...Do you think of how this will effect our REAL LIVES?!

p.s. Please excuse my typo's & grammar :P

[Sedia Darkrose]

Yes, we're all going to be locked in for profit jails and be forced to work for the big companies that own them for the rest of our lives.... seriously, its all speculation and hot air. If people want to believe all that can happen then they might as well start believing that even singing a song you like in public could become copyright infringment and get you sent to jail. I think it Secondlife carried about us using our avatars for, say video blogging, they would have said something by now. I also think that SL is in no way going to do something that will jepordize their numbers. Limiting what people can do limits the number of people and thus limits their profits. It's the same thing the ISP's are facing, the big names want them to use their money to protect third-party stuff which would decrease their numbers and profits and the ISP's said **** off. As for file sharing sites, that's also crap. The megaupload takedown comes right after the Internet Blackout... you figure it out.

Honestly, people need to stop going overboard with speculation and just focus on the real issues. This doesn't really have much to do with many of the "original artists" but rather the big bad companies that own the royalities (and then pay those original artists basically nothing). Many artists use file sharing to promote their stuff and get more people's attention. There is a hunt going on now for a concert that will later be held live in SL (can't remember the details sorry) but many of the items feature the bands logo and you don't hear any complaining from them now do you? The laws, and the people trying to inforce them, are old and set in their ways. Things need to be adapted for the new age of digitail media and social networking. That's what people should be working on, not running around thinking the internet age is at an end.

[Reyna Wirefly]

I'm not speculating anything here... Just asking some questions to find some answers.

So if these "internet laws" are passed how will this effect Second Life? or better yet how would SL be excluded?

[161488303349]

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Reyna Wirefly wrote:

I'm not speculating anything here... Just asking some questions to find some answers.

So if these "internet laws" are passed how will this effect Second Life? or better yet how would SL be excluded?

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can find the answers if u search these forums. is about a million posts that discuss the proposed legislation and how that will affect second life

[Reyna Wirefly]

Sorry its like my first time to the forums an couldnt find anything on it so I started this thead thanks for the info

[161488303349]

that ok. search box top right ur screen. is heaps debate, all views. has been quite good altogether

[Phil Deakins]

Just one thing...

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Reyna Wirefly wrote:

How will this effect the people of Second Life? Does this mean DJ's in Second Life will be no more? If these laws are passed could this mean if we are streaming music to people that we'd be infringing the copyright laws by "sharing" our love for music?

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It doesn't need any laws to be passed. To the best of my knowledge, DJ's playing other people's music in RL or SL *should* pay royalties, just as singers of other people's songs should pay royalties. Here in the UK, it's a one-off payment for each song, and not a payment for every time it is played or sung. Maybe radio has to pay per play. I imagine it's the same in most countries. I know it is in Portugal. In Portugal, if karaoke people don't have each of their karaoke discs stamped as paid, they get their equipment confiscated, and people do go round the bars to check. Of course, it's not usual to pay it but the law is that it should be paid.

So no new laws are necessary to come after DJs in SL. But, imo, it's highly unlikely to happen.

Having said that, the DJs I've come across download songs they don't have on-the-fly when they are requested. That could cause them problems unless they pay for each download.

[Reyna Wirefly]

Yes in RL you need to show your proof of purchase or if you receive promo's from producers you also need to show that or they wont allow you to play. Promo's from Producers is kinda like blogging the latest fashions (you see it so you wanna buy it so if you hear something you like then you want to buy it ).

[Amethyst Jetaime]

It is already illegal in RL and in here as well as against TOS to use anything copyrighted or trademarked without the specific permission of the owner of the intellectual property *IP).  Right now under existing RL law, if you do this the IP owner can file a complaint with LL and have the offending item removed and take you to court and sue you for it.  It does go on, but only because only the IP owner has not yet filed the complaint. If it were me, I wouldn't risk it as you can find yourself in a world of RL legal trouble.

http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Linden_Lab_Official:Intellectual_Property

Snapshots are allowed too for the most part, unless you are on a private estate and the covenant forbids it or forbids it without specific permission from the land owner.  Machinima too is allowed, but always requires the specific permission of the land owner unless the convent specifically allows it.

http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Linden_Lab_Official:Snapshot_and_machinima_policy

As far as using templates, that depends on the license that the creator gives you.  All of them come with a user license.  If you follow the terms you cannot get in trouble.  File sharing is not illegal unless you are sharing IP that you don't own the rights to or you  don't  have a license to distribute.

As far as SL DJ's, they can obtain a license to stream music from BMI for an annual fee based on earnings.

How all these new anti-piracy laws will effect us as individuals and SL in general will depend on the laws and how strictly they are enforced.  Poland may block SL from being accessed in Poland, but that would have no effect on people that access it from other countries.  Some of these laws give the government the 'right' to block its citizens from accessing certain web sites.  To me this is more about censorship or government attempt to 'control' the web, something government have been trying to do since the net was born - without much success..   If they were serious about IP rights only they'd go after the specific offender, not punish everyone.  Personally I feel that everyone should fight these laws now as I guarantee when people can't access sites they want to, there will be a hue and cry about it.