Commentary: A.I. Art - Is It Stealing Your Art?

 

One of the burning issues in both the real world and online is Artificial Intelligence, or AI. There have been worries it will eventually destroy the world, and more recently Amazon announced it will be replacing some jobs with AI programs. On the Internet, there's been a big debate about the creations of AI programs: AI art. Some love it, Others hate it. Nydia Tungsten recently had a few things to say on the matter.

 

Read Nydia's commentary in Extra 

Bonniebots and The Debate About Them

 

In the past few days, a new controversy has come up in the Second Life forums: the Bonniebots. Some say they provide a useful service. Others call them a privacy threat and a violation of the Terms of Service. The topic was a hot one in the Second Life forums with four threads on the topic shut down by the Lindens. In the last one, Patch Linden stated they would soon be meeting up with the bots' team.

 

 Read the story in Design.

Sansar's Owner, Wookey, In Lawsuit By Former CEO

 

Lately, things haven't been looking very good for Sansar. The "next generation virtual world" created by Linden Lab and going online in 2017, had struggled to find an audience and in 2020 the Lab would sell it to Wookey Technologies. In recent weeks, the place has been described as "on life support" with the workers furloughed and it's Umbra license expired. Then on Dec 22, it was knocked offline for a day. The cause of that has yet to be determined.

As it turns out, this isn't the only problem going on with Wookey. It seems they're in a legal dispute with a former CEO of theirs, John Fried. The "Wrongful Discharge" suit started in April 2020, not long after Wookey bought Sansar. He is demanding one million dollars. As of November, it was headed to a jury trial set for June 27, 2022.

Inara Pey states that the company has a net worth of about 3.78 million, "a judgement made in favour of Mr. Fried, it could put a significant dent in the company’s finances." Needless to say, the future of Sansar is looking more troubled.

Source: Modem World, Superior Court of California

Bixyl Shuftan
 

Great Canadian Grid Offline

So soon after High Fidelity is about to all but shut down, another virtual world is in trouble. According to an article on Hypergrid Business, dated December 28, as well as some chatter on Discord, the Great Canadian Grid, a small Opensim world, has been taken offline.

The reason for the world being offline is apparently a personal dispute between it's owner Roddie Macchi and that of a larger virtual world, Digiworld's Terry Ford. Digiworld had been handling the smaller world's grid management services. Then somehow the two owners got into an argument of some kind, and the Great Canadian Grid was taken offline after these services were stopped.

Macchi has reacted by starting a Gofundme campaign, which he says is to help pay for technical help and new services to restore the Great Canadian Grid.  As of the writing of this article, $1,175 USD had been raised.

There was no shortage of negative comments following the articles, as well in Discord. A few compared the Great Canadian Grid Gofundme to the InWorldz one over a year ago, which was unsuccessful in saving it. Some felt the incident not only made the two grid owners, but also Opensim as a whole, look bad, "It deeply saddens me it has come to this but it is our farewell to opensimulator altogether. My wife and I are heading back to our mainland parcel in Second Life ..." "... you complain that 'Why are people from Second Life not coming to you?' Coz you are terrible managers."

Bixyl Shuftan

More On Ozimals: Akimeta Responds, Speculation of Consequences For Second Life

Since we last wrote on the closing of Ozimals last week, much has been spoken on the subject, and more information has come out. To begin with, the person ordering Ozimals to "cease and desist" has finally given his side of the story.

Aki Shichiroji, also known as Edward Distelhurst of Akimeta Ltd., came out with a statement defending his actions and accusing Ozomal of  "having omitted facts and made false claims." He gave a tale of "fighting Ozimals and it's owners in the courts" to get due compensation for his work. "They were sanctioned over 8 times for disobeying the courts," he wrote, "it is my opinion that throughout this case Ozimals has avoided producing discovery in an effort to hide their money and assets from me, and to delay and prevent me from collecting upon them." He stated legally he was the owner of Ozimals as "they were in breach of the last settlement agreement ... and the full owner of the copyright," and that he had recently learned that in September Ozimals filed to legally dissolve and transfer "the game" to a new owner, "It is my opinion that the events and facts that lead up to our Cease and Desist were entirely preventable by Ozimals and their owners plenty of times in the course of the past 7 years."

We wish things could have gone another way, but as we have outlined in detail with this document, since Ozimals LLC/Inc. is no longer an operating entity, Cameron Holt does not possess the rights to the Intellectual Properties. Yet, he continued to operate and profit from the business even though it has allegedly been dissolved 9 months ago.

We are genuinely upset that the actions undertaken by Ozimals LLC/Inc , Cameron Holt and Candace Sargent have led them to the abrupt discontinuation of their game and we regret that in doing so, all members of their community have been so adversely affected.

Reaction from the people in the "For The Love Of Oz" group, at least that I was observed, was skepticism. Some called Aki's claims outright lies. Others felt both sides needed to be listened to. In the SL Universe forum, the comments ranged from dark humor to blaming one side or the other to suggestions that the founders of Ozimals may simply have been incompetent, at least in understanding the legal side of a business.The Second Life Enquirer interviewed several distraught pet owners.

One other detail of Ozimals closing was that it was making the news not just in Second Life blogs and newsletters, but also in gaming ezines, such as PC Gamer and Kotaku, and even mainstream news sites such as BBC News. To Second Life residents whom would otherwise not have cared much about the pet bunnies, this was mixed news at best. While they had wanted more mention of the virtual world in the news, this wasn't what they had in mind. Hamlet Au called it a PR problem, "the implication is that user-created virtual content is frequently in danger of real world legal disputes." He also wondered if Linden Lab itself could take a financial hit as dispirited bunny owners could abandon their land, and therefore stop making the payments for it. On the other hand, the increasing discussion of Second Life was leading to a surge upward of Google searches of the name, which could lead to more people signing up. If there was enough money being made to sue over, perhaps some people were curious how they could make some.

So what can Linden Lab do about this mess? Hamlet had one idea for a possible solution. If a brand of virtual pet, or any other user-made content, becomes "massively successful," the Lab should purchase the rights to it, "and make that content an official part of Second Life." But those commenting were skeptical, feeling there would be consequences, "Why would anyone want to create in a world where their content was going to be acquired or have their efforts duplicated by the company?" Or feeling it shouldn't. Suppose Linden Lab did acquire Ozimals, only to make bunny food available to Premium accounts only? Another felt considering Linden Lab's record of handling even Premium support issues, he wouldn't want the the Lab "handling the level of support pets require."

Another option: instead of taking over virtual pet companies, Linden Lab could just make plans for their going out of business. They could make backups of the code for the food and anything else needed to keep them alive, and should the company go out of business or somehow find itself having to suspend operations due to legal trouble, it could step in to keep the pets alive. To avoid possible legal trouble, they would probably have to communicate with the legal owner of the company. Linden Lab would be balancing the interests of it's customers whom are owners of the virtual pets in question against the small but real possibility of having to go to court with an irate virtual company owner. This may be a issue the Lab would rather not deal with, even if it means taking a hit to it's bottom line.

There is a possible real-world parallel, at least for the future. As genetic engineering becomes more sophisticated, it will be possible to resurrect extinct species or create new complex ones. Many would love the chance to have a pet dinosaur, at least a small one, if they had the means to care for it. But the plants and/or animals the critter ate in it's time would not have been around for millions of years, so the company would have to make food it could eat as well, and likely put a copyright on that to maximize it's profits. Should the company go out of business, the pets could be in real trouble.

Someone commented "in a few weeks, this will all be forgotten." Probably not, as in a few weeks is Second Life's fourteen anniversary. While both Linden Lab and the residents celebrate the virtual world's birthday, there's little doubt that the mess over the bunnies will be on the back's of peoples' minds. A chance to tout the joys and fun of being in a virtual world can easily be challenged by skeptics, "but what about those who spend months to years caring for virtual pets, only to see them croak because the maker got served in court?"

One person I talked to called the case evidence that if a resident had a great idea, do it him or herself. Trouble is, the more complex a product, the more difficult it is for one person to handle, in the case of virtual pets, the coding, the design, the marketing, the financial paperwork, organizing events around the product, and more. Most people, especially those with real life jobs and family, would have to get help for such a project, or their idea will never see the light of day. And unless they can get all the needed people from within their circle of friends, that means looking for a business partner. One side effect of the Ozimals trouble may be some aspiring content creators shelving their ideas out of fear of legal trouble should the business partnership dissolve.

In the meantime, virtual life for the bunny owners, at least those who used the timepieces, goes on, continuing to trade and sell nests in the "For The Love of Oz" group. But no more will be created. A number of them have thanked the Newser and others for helping to spread the word about the timepieces and other tools used to keep the virtual pets active. We at the Newser appreciate their kind and heartfelt words, and wish them the best of luck with their pets.



Sources: New World Notes, BBC News

Bixyl Shuftan

"Conflict Resolution"

It's been stated before that the biggest source of troubles for people is, other people. No matter how much you try to get along, it seems that sooner or later you run afoul of someone. In her newest article, MajikVixen talks about how to deal with the other parties in disputes and a few tips in resolving them.

Read MajikVixen's article in People.

News and Commentary: Political Opposition Against Trump HQ Continues

Last week, the Newser wrote about the problems a group of supporters of the US Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders was having with another group supporting the candidate Donald Trump, the latter admitting they were having a little fun at the other's expense, and some outright trolls griefing in the brash candidate's name, at times wondering if the two were one and the same. Since then, the incidents of griefing have continued, and are drawing attention from both Second Life media, and media from outside which has taken a renewed interest in the virtual world because of the political drama. One noted figure in Second Life media has stated things have gone far enough and it's time for Linden Lab to swing the ban hammer on the Trump HQ. But if they wanted to, could the Lab do so without alienating much of it's user base.

Read more in Extra.

News and Commentary: More on The Trump Wall

With supporters of two different US Presidential candidates from two different parties making their presence felt in Second Life, one for Donald Trump and another for Bernie Sanders, eventually there would be some kind of problem between the two. And a large problem it was, in the form of a section of wall erected by supporters of Trump towering over the Sanders HQ. Since it's appearance, I've talked to the leaders of both groups. Besides a difference in opinion on who should get the nomination, the two disagree about the intent on what the "Trump Wall" is about.

Read the article in Extra.

Political Feud Between New Trump and Sanders HQs

While writing my long-delayed article on the Bernie Sanders HQ, I decided to drop in on the place. It seems not only has the place expanded and moved to another spot on the sim, but it has a new neighbor: Trump supporters.

With Trump's call for a wall across the US-Mexico border, it seems a few of his supporters have bought some land next to the Bernie Sanders area in Caspoli, and constructed a wall standing 180m from sea level, with barbed wire on top and fireworks exploding around. The Trump side shows one large American flag painted onto the concrete. The side toward the Sanders HQ shows both US flags, Trump campaign signs, and a picture of Donald Trump pointing over the wall. A word balloon over the image taunts Macaria Wind, the owner of the Sanders HQ, saying hundreds got to the Trump HQ by clicking on the wall, "We have twenty times more traffic! I keep winning! You can't stump the Trump!"

The owner of the wall, whom is listed as different from it's creator, had this in her profile: "I do not endorse any political candidate in this jank arse election. I just help friends that do." One of the neighbors in the Sporminore sim to the south reacted by erecting a picture of some creature, labeled "Trump."

Longtime users of Second Life might recall "The War of the Jessie Wall" (New World Notes), which happened very early in Second Life's history and what Hamlet Au described as "what happens when cultures clash and territories are disputed; when people misinterpret rules, or misapply them. It's about political debate, and what we believe to be political at all, depending on where we're from, and what assumptions we take with us, when we come here. And because you often learn the most about yourself when you come into conflict with others, it's also about the Second Life community's first challenge to define themselves." While there were no signs of shooting, it seems the verbal debate is being expanded into a virtually physical one, at least with walls.

The new and expanded Sanders HQ is at Caspoli (45/37/46). Turning around, you should be able to see the wall some distance away from there.

Bixyl Shuftan

Insilico Offline, Owner Skills Hak Banned

Some sad news for science-fiction roleplayers in Second Life. The popular Insilico region, mentioned in media such as the Drax Files and written about by the Newser last year, has been taken offline. The reason, it's owner and primary builder, Skills Hak, has been banned from the Grid by Linden Lab.

Skills, whom has been involved in controversies such as being among those Linden Lab asked to resign from the Emerald Viewer team just before it collapsed in 2010, has stated she feels this will probably be the end of her activities in Second Life, at least under her current identity.

I had a good run. 8 years on this account and the timing of my ban couldn’t have been better. In fact my boyfriend was really happy to hear about my final ban since i am spending too much time at the computer and i am going to be a mommy soon. It was a wild ride, thanks for everything.

Some good news for Skills, Linden Lab is compensating her for the ban.

... i’ve been emailing back and forth with Linden Lab for a bit and i just agreed to accept a one time payment that will recoup my losses (although, technically i didn’t lose any money). It was more than i expected, they showed good faith and i will leave them alone now, promise.

In New World Notes, where the story was also reported on, several readers reminded about another community that had been offlined, Steelhead, due to it's owner being suspended for completely unknown reasons despite not being involved in any controversy, and paying more in tier than Insilico.

As for Insilico, their blog stated negotiations were in progress for a transfer of ownership to keep the region of several years alive. But the last post made suggests they might not proceed and the area could be allowed to pass away. Regardless whether one considers Skills Hak a hero or villain, the Grid is facing the loss of another prized region and community.

Bixyl Shuftan

Prometheus Grid Offline, Future Uncertain

Earlier this month, Second Life Newser reported on the new "Prometheus" OpenSim Grid. Since then the virtual world has needed a reboot, wiping out it's contents. And one of it's staff recently informed the Newser that the main owner of the virtual world has pulled out of the team, throwing it's future in doubt.

The numbers of the world had been small, with four sims online, and a little less then two dozen active residents.

What Happened to 7Seas' Meissa Thorne?

With the arrival of Ebbe Linden, there's been much hope that finally things will change for the better in Second Life. But on occasion, one still hear tales of Linden Lab's heavy-handedness. Recently, Second Life Newser heard tales about one of the 7Seas fishing game team, Meissa Thorne, getting banned from the grid. Bixyl Shuftan investigated, and eventually talked to Meissa's teammate Jen Shikami for answers.

Read more in Extra.

Update on the Ozimals vs Amaretto Legal Fight

New World Notes recently reported on a new development in the legal brawl between Ozimals and Amaretto. The trouble began in December 2010 when Ozimals filed a DMCA against Amaretto saying the scripts for Amaretto horses resembled those of Ozimals bunnies, and Amaretto responded with a counter-DMCA and copyright lawsuit. Later, the judge issued a temporary restraining order on Linden Lab against issuing a DMCA on Amaretto, which legal Blogger Eric Goldman called “a bizarre twist.” he felt it brought up legal questions about Linden Labs and it’s ability to control content.

Since then, the court has “granted an injunction that only applies to Ozimals' sending of takedown notices and makes no reference to restrictions on Second Life.” Perhaps another victory for the horses, but the legal dispute hasn’t ended, “Although this ends the most interesting angle of the dispute, the bunnies vs. horses dispute remains pretty interesting on its own. Normally, I would expect a dispute like that to get resolved quickly. I'm a little baffled how the revenue streams from these virtual animals can profitably support full-scale litigation warfare. Unfortunately, the parties seem to be going down that path.”

There have been no further comments on the feud on either of the petmakers websites. Ozimals was celebrating it’s first anniversary, and offering a bunny as one of the gifts for the Helping Hands charity. Amaretto mentioned trouble in the form of an “Amarettocheats” website. spreading drama, and a bug resulting in sick horses.

To add to the confusion, there was an incident at the Amaretto barn reported by New World Notes, in which a number of residents picketed the place in a farcical protest, saying it was animal abuse and depravity to force the virtual horses in “underage” breeding and sell them, invoking the name of religion. This was almost certainly unrelated to the legal mess, but it was certainly one strange distraction from it.

"Curiouser and Curiouser."

Sources: New World Notes, Tech & Marketing Blog

Bixyl Shuftan