Socially|Mundane

My attention was brung to an SL blog entry by a resident entitled "Copy/No-Trans, Ethics and TOS" - an interesting subject authored by Marx Dudek. It's a very interesting question and is a typical mindset of most creators on the grid: what if someone uses my creations in a way I never intended? However, if you read my book the SBSL, you will know I try to stress: you as a creator really need to think "outside the box" and go against your intuitive paradigms.

The main "issue" of the question at hand is more or less "how ethical is it to buy a copyable item, then rez a copy for all your friends on their properties?" Here's an excerpt from the origial post by Marx:

But unlike full-perm builder's products, copy/no-trans items do not come with a EULA. Nothing says that a buyer is not entitled to copy said items on a friend's property - or how this is not absolutely different from altering permissions on an object and giving it to someone. What's to stop someone from creating a website that allowed residents to ask for a certain item to be rezzed on their property? "Budding Club Manager ISO Someone to Rez 5 copy/no-trans Sine Wave Poles for L$500" - you get the idea.

The comments to that post are pretty good. However, they are incredibly predictable, mostly on the "wow, that's a good question!" line and many leaning toward the idea of "ohmygosh, I don't want someone doing that with my creations!"

But, I beg to differ... my own response to that thread is repeated here.

As a business owner in SL, you really need to think "out of the box." So with regard to the following: "...Nothing says that a buyer is not entitled to copy said items on a friend's property..." my answer is this: I sell thrones, they come with all kinds of goodies, including a bookcase, cuddle gazebos and other stuff I used to sell separately and all that. I have recently set them all to copy/no-transfer.

As for you buying one, and then rezzing 50 copies for all your friends... I say:

OMG! Please! Yes!! Do it! Please, please please rez as many across the entire grid as you can!

And here's why: My product will be seen by a lot of people. A lot of people you have not rezzed one for. If they like what they see, the will hopefully come inspect my P.O.S. (point of sale store) in world or my XStreet SL listings. As for those copies you have rezzed for your friends: unless you give every single one of them modify permissions, they can't move or do anything with them other than just "use" them - even on their own property. As with most scripted items, many of the configuration menus of scripted rezzable items are accessible as owner-only - so all your friends can do is use it, not configure it.

If they like it, chances are they'll buy their own copy. Obviously this all applies to "rezzed" items as you really can't share "worn/attached" items.

So my answer to this question is seriously: "oh-my-God, yes, please do copy and rezz as many as you possibly can for anyone and everyone across the grid - hell, ask strangers if they'd like you to rez one for them, please!"

The more visibility I get, the better for my business.

Source: Second Life Blogs: Copy/No-Trans, Ethics & TOS