Am I allowed to link to my real life website store via a clickable item in my SL store?

[Ashadelle Mistwood]

I have an Etsy store in RL and I am wondering if I am allowed to link to it in my SL store. I would like to put an item out that the person can click and be redirected to my RL store. Nothing would link their SL to RL if they were to make a purchase.

Thanks!

[Rolig Loon]

See https://marketplace.secondlife.com/listing_guidelines?  :

The following actions are disallowed. Note that these actions are disallowed by the Second Life Terms of Service, and are restated here for clarification.

• Listings for Real-World Goods or Services. The SL Marketplace is only for digital content and services that are designed and intended for use with the Second Life virtual world technology. We expressly prohibit the listing or sale of any and all goods or services designed or intended to be delivered in the real world, for example, delivered in person or mailed or shipped to a physical address, or digital content designed or intended for use exclusively outside of Second Life.

[Lindal Kidd]

While Rolig is 100% correct, I have seen at least two stores in SL that advertised their RL products as well as their SL ones.  I am not advocating this, you understand, and I have no idea what if anything happened to those two stores.

[Madelaine McMasters]

Hi Ashadella,

I'm not a lawyer, but here are some observations.

Rolig cited the Marketplace listing guidelines, which pertain only to the marketplace. Although those guidelines would like you to believe that all the procriptions against linking to real-world content are restatements of actions disallowed by the SL Terms of Service, I don't think that's true. I just re-skimmed the TOS and find nothing prohibiting links to external content within SL itself.

As I understand it, you want to put out an object in your in-world store that informs people of your Etsy store. It seems to me that would be fine. If that were prohibited, SL would never have been able to attract RL businesses like Coca-Cola and Texas Instruments to set up shop in-world. Those businesses did operate here briefly years ago before discovering, as you might too, that SL is a terrible way to promote a real world business.

Good luck!

[Rolig Loon]

Whether you like the terms or not, the Marketplace listing guidelines are quite clear.  They begin with

SECOND LIFE MARKETPLACE FEE AND LISTING POLICIES

Our policy is designed to promote an informed and enjoyable trading experience for all Second Life residents. Before buying or listing items for sale on the Second Life Marketplace (SL Marketplace), please read carefully this policy and the Second Life Terms of Service. By using the SL Marketplace, you agree to both this policy and the Terms of Service.

As with any policy in SL, you may of course disregard it at your risk.  You did ask what was allowed, though ....

[Amethyst Jetaime]

Yes, you can do this in an in world store, just not marketplace.  Back in the days when companies were flocking to SL to market their products this was rather common. 

Don't expect much though.  Historically even popular large companies like Adidas failed to find a market in SL.  Marketing studies that were done at the time showed that residents do not want RL intruding in their SL.  People are also distrustful of clicking links that take them to web sites that don't belong to LL as this is a common way to be phished or have malware downloaded on your computer.