Does anyone remember this post by Cory Linden back in 2006?
One example is the concept of first use. Linden Lab is currently making changes to
make it easier to determine who originally created an asset and its creation
date. While much of this data currently
exists, it isn’t displayed in the UI. By
exposing this data, it will be much easier for residents in a conflict to be
able to clearly determine which texture or object was created first,
simplifying conflict resolution for all parties involved.
Another option – which we aren’t working on yet – would be
to offer either a registration or seal program for creators who are willing to
provide additional identifying information and who are committed to not
infringing on other residents’ content. If the finder makes it easy to search for content and locations that
participate in this program, then economic and social pressures combine to
reward creators who respect copyright and punish those who don’t.
Yet another idea – again, we’re not working on this yet,
just talking about it – would be to make copying of all content within
SL
trivially easy, but to track appropriate metadata about who’s copied the
content and where it has been reused. Maybe even make that data publicly searchable. By making the act of copying easy, the
incentives to go around or hack the system are greatly reduced and the community
is better able to recognize and respect the wishes of creators. Plus, it would be much easier to implement
important concepts like “undo��? which are incredibly complicated or impossible
when trying to preserve uniqueness.
These are simply early steps and initial ideas – I expect
the community will have excellent suggestions as well. I look forward to seeing discussions and
suggestions as we continue to improve Second Life for all its residents.
Cory also offered this opinion...
I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV, but I have read the
Copyright Law of the United States – contained in Title 17 of the US
Code – and I encourage those wishing to better understand the issues to do
likewise. What is perhaps most
interesting about it is what it doesn’t have. Nowhere in the text does the word “steal��? appear. This is important, especially given that most
discussions about copying in Second Life tend to involve statements like “they
stole my textures.��? As Title 17 makes
clear, copying isn’t stealing. In fact, copying
isn’t necessarily a violation of copyright. Section 107 discusses a specific limitation on exclusive rights, namely
fair use.
Section 503 of Title 17 of US Copyright law states:
(c) Statutory Damages. —
(1) Except as provided by clause (2) of this subsection, the copyright owner may elect, at any time before final judgment is rendered, to recover, instead of actual damages and profits, an award of statutory damages for all infringements involved in the action, with respect to any one work, for which any one infringer is liable individually, or for which any two or more infringers are liable jointly and severally, in a sum of not less than $750 or more than $30,000 as the court considers just. For the purposes of this subsection, all the parts of a compilation or derivative work constitute one work.
(2) In a case where the copyright owner sustains the burden of proving, and the court finds, that infringement was committed willfully, the court in its discretion may increase the award of statutory damages to a sum of not more than $150,000.
"As Title 17 makes
clear, copying isn’t stealing." Cory Linden
I submit that copying or "infringing" for purposes of profiting IS stealing. And someday, someone, will hold LL's feet to the fire on this. Apparently this is the "Tao" of Linden Lab.
For those interested, you can read the entire post here:
OpenGL, Copying, and Stealing « Official Linden Blog