I would like to know about plagiarism?

[emilimar Elton]

I hired the services of contractor friend to a party room for me
Decides to make a scene and took different measures of the base and used the hall in mybuilding, but it was not equal to it, the more the developer claims that plagiarism isthreatening me and come forward to make linden lab - I wonder if this proceeds? where I find NO TOS and Big6 about plagiarism? How do you define plagiarism in the constructionof second life?
Note 10 000L paid to construction, construction and asked it to be, Copy and Mod -

TY

Emilimar Elton

[Cinnamon Lohner]

Plagiarism is a fancy word for copying someone's work.  Must of the rules regarding this can be found on the webpage that discusses the Digital Millennium Copyright Act

Your thread is very unclear as to who is copying whom or what.   Copying RL locations can get you in trouble if the location is unique and under copyright and the company involved protects those rights.  Copying Disney locations and characters would be a good example of that.  Copying RL locations that don't have copyright protection may not be a good thing but is probably not going to generate a problem for you.

Again, more information would be helpful, but copying or plagiarism is covered in the TOS at the link I gave you above.

--Cinn

[Cori Sabena]

Plagiarism is used  for copying someone else writing.    What Linden has to deal with is copyrights and patents and registered trademarks.   Most would be considered copyrights a patent is a device usually. But in SL a object that does the same thing can be a violation of a RL patent. 

Intelectual property is the new buzz word do to the Electronic connection ie internet computer files, art writing etc.

You were not clear on what and who. A room design not plagiarism.  But Linden is the one that decides, unless the company or creator is involved. Most companies have not found SL or are concerned on copying.  But this does not seem to be plagiarism more like copywrites.  The guy did not do his homework.

 

I think they just underestimate its potential. I pulled over $300 real money out of SL last year. Does not sound like much but that is just what I took out into paypal.  I paid for my membership and had spending money as well.  As long as you keep the income as Lindens it is not seen as income by the IRS. Once it is USD even if kept in second life account, it is income.

 

In the US if you write something you have a copyright on it automatically. You can register it but it is not necessary. What works if you are on a low budget, is to keep all drafts dated, computer copy and hard copy, so you can prove you made it if you have to sue.  Even when you register a work of art, written text, books, web pages or documents on the web, programs, scripts or treatment all they do is to date it and put it in a vault, including the Patent office and Screen Writer’s Guild. (I know because I have).   It is up to you to sue anyone that you feel copied it.     There is no copyright search before getting a copyright. You are expected to do a patent search before patenting a “new” device.  There are companies that will do that for you.  Sometime the patent office will override it or ask for a more specific patent on a part in your invention.  You could end up with a number of patents.  Just FY.

 

From my experience in Second Life if you copy something exactly you will get in trouble, (maybe) same as real life. I knew a head of a law firm that did patents and copyrights.  He had a room full of stuffed animals including Snoopy. Even he said it was tricky to sue. All they have to do is to use the same design and change it enough.  You know they copied it but there is nothing you can do.  

 

Some companies like BBC do not seem to mind the SL violations, Dr who, Red dwarf stuff is all over. On the other hand if you make a spider man or wonder woman costume or any Disney character, that looks like the original or uses their trademark name, it will be taken off by Linden.  I had Buds beer and Dads root beer and it was taken. I made a SL root beer and Beer (original labels) and am giving it away. Trademarks can be registered but do not have to be.  Microsoft has a trademark on the word Windows and a copyright on the OS windows.  But you can make and sell windows, just do not make a piece of software and call it windows.

 

 Oh giving something away is not always a protection. Companies have sued for someone making their stuff, and giving them away.  Do not be fooled by people saying that giving it a way is ok. They lose money if someone gives away copies of their products.

 

[Amethyst Jetaime]

One builder can not copy another's work and you cannot legally commission a builder to do this without consequences your self.    For example, If you saw a room in RL or SL that you liked and had someone other than the original creator recreate it for you in SL this could be a violation of the Intellectual Property Rights of the original creator.  The copy does not have to be exact in order to file a DMCA notice and have it removed.  In the example I gave above, both you and your builder could  be named as violators.  The builder shouldn't have built it and you should not have hired the builder  to copy the room. 

If the original creator files a DMCA notice and the Lindens remove the room, you will not get your money back.  You and the builder may also eventually receive a suspension of your account.  If a DMCA notice is filed and the content is removed, you can file a counter notice by following the directions in the notice you will receive.  LL will then put the content back and then a RL court of law would have to decide who is right and if you are found to be at fault you will face RL consequences. 

In addition to the link that others gave you, you should look at the Official Policy LL has on IP Rights.  I've pasted a link below.

Official Linden Lab Policy on Intellectual Property Rights

If on the other hand, you hired a builder and did not like the work and there is a dispute about if the builder should be paid or you should get a refund of your money if you paid them,  Linden Lab will not get involved in that.  You are out any money you paid and should take it as a lesson learned to always hire a reputable person who conducts themselves professionally, examine previous examples of their work for quality and ask for references before hiring them.