September 16, 2007 by Nobody Fugazi
Posted in
A few people directed me to take a look at the profile of CP Costello - so I did. And here is what his profile says:
CP Realty has recently Incorporated RW and and is run as a legitamate Business .Therefore we will be hireing a legal team to pursue what we feel is unfair practice in game. First issue at hand will to aquire a court order for RW names of players that cut and ruin sims with adfarms for profit while damaging value of property owners.IF you have land that has been damaged ruined or devalued you need to contact My self in the next few days we will have a group in place for a future class action suit .
The message seems pretty clear. People are tired of [w:Linden Lab] doing nothing about 16 m2 plots, and after numerous attempts... maybe it is time for the community to take this to the next level. Ad farms are one of the many reasons I have abandoned mainland. Maybe Coldwell Banker may want to reconsider that marketing approach, they're a nice juicy target.
Given the legal landscape surrounding Second Life at this time - this may be the right time. If I could be a part of it (I can't, I don't think) I'd also include people who game the system such as Landbaron Merlin. I'm sure that there are a few hundred people that would love that to have him in the crosshairs.
For those of you just tuning in, the 16 m2 ad extortion racket is simple. People buy plots, cut them into 16 m2 areas and place advertisements there. They refuse to sell them for market prices, instead charging extortionist rates to remove the eyesores. All of this is considered legitimate by Linden Lab, but it adversely affects the community on a daily basis.
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Pretty Rediculous!
I have to say, there is no court in earth that would rule in your favor. Nothing is done illegally. I hope the person they sue, counter sues them.
Shame Shame Shame (will you take my legs away too?)
Class action lawsuit against ad farmers???
YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!!
GOOD FRICKIN LUCK!
How about a lawsuit against this jack-leg that sells landbot programs. Surely there are victims from this practice.
eBay My World: presidenteperry
http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQfrppZ25QQsassZpresidenteperry
Now landbots will be common place. Be careful when punching in a selling price! You can see several people have already bought "presidente perry's" landbot program so far.
It is sad that most of us go into SL to enjoy some time away from our RL. Others own a small business or a shop or two. Some wish to make art or meet people from around the world to make new friends. There are so many beautiful reason to enjoy SL but the taste is becoming sour. I estimate there will be more drama and bs in SL than RL pretty soon. Maybe I am wrong. Maybe there is already more drama in SL than RL. It is sad because I love SL. I am an addict. I was born with a defect (I have no legs) so for me SL is my chance to experience something I never will in life. Walking, running and hey, FLYING. Remember the first time you flew around with your avatar? Remember how it felt? Remember the first item you made or person you met? What happened to my SL. It is slipping away so fast it is almost gone. If LL is still around in a few years, I wonder how many rules will have been set, changed or removed. If we don't "grow up" and learn to get along we will destroy the world we have all created collectively. The truth in SL is so much the same as RL; together we can make an awesome future and world but seperate we WILL fail.
Good luck with all your lawsuits, crap slinging and drama. I think I will go enjoy the beautiful parts of SL before they are all gone and use my wonderful virtual legs!
PEACE
Hmm.
Bob, not for nothing - but do you club baby seals in your spare time? lol
No he is busy making
No he is busy making landbots when he is not supporting ad land extortionists. I'm waiting for his pro griefing product line to come out. I think I found my complete opposite here on y2p.
If the threat of this
If the threat of this actually gets the attention of somebody at LL to address this issue then it will be a worthwhile exercise.
I'm not against advertising, I am against people who put eyesores full of obscenity inworld and then ask for extortionate fees to remove those eyesores.
Tastefully done, advertising could be a positive inworld utility.
Ciaran
Ad Farms Lawsuit
Hey Nobody. This is an interesting situation developing. As you know I was neighbor to an ad farm in my own back yard in West Haven. I detest them. However, if they are not against the LL TOS, then what grounds would a class action lawsuit have to stand on? Is CP planning to prove extortion? If so, wouldn't any victims have to also give up their own real life identities as well as the perpertrators since the law states that the accused have the right to face their accusers, etc.? I can't imagine any SL residents willing to give up their identities except for maybe high profile residents such as yourself who are already publicly known. Please elaborate or speculate. Thanks. Tin
I'm not a lawyer, BUT...
I can think of a few grounds, actually. Something that has not been said enough is that the Linden Lab ToS/Community Standards are NOT Law. That is a contract, and in one case has been tossed out as a Contract of Adhesion. I do think that the only way such a suit could work to affect change would be to bring Linden Lab into it. They *do* have the ability to do something, they simply have chosen for years to not do something.
The first grounds I would think of, and the one probably with the most merit, would be what Bragg is trying to establish with his case with respect to 'property' in Second Life - if Linden Lab says it is a hosting service, then they are permitting third parties to detract from other people's real investments... if they say that people actually *own* the land, then people could say that ad spam is devaluing their property, etc.
The one I prefer: People's experiences are being adversely affected, and Linden Lab is cashing in as people raise their tier to buy out the extortionists - they are, in that way, aiding and abetting as far as I am concerned. People spend real money dealing with these idiots with their ad farms - I know I have in the past, and I know others have as well. Linden Lab has basically said that it is a community issue by their inaction. It is extortion. I think someone in a jury box would go with that - a Linden Lab attorney would have to use the waivering "its only a game" defense which their own press undercuts them on... so Linden Lab probably would stay out of it.
I'm no lawyer. However, I do believe in the jury system - and I think that if all of this were trotted out in front of a jury with the numbers converted to $US, the jury would nod on the suit. I know that if I were a juror, someone would be paying.
I'm not a lawyer either so ...
I see where you are going with this which brings to mind these two questions:
1. You say "they are permitting third parties to detract from other people's real investments" and "People's experiences are being adversely affected" which is true but hell that also applies to every single griefer in SL. Does that mean there is a class action lawsuit down the road against them as well?
2. On what "authority" is CP putting together this lawsuit? As a business person or an individual? Grieved or injured? Won't this call into scrutiny the whole SL real estate industry that so far is unlicensed with no control whereas in real life it is licensed with state and federal laws? Won't this also put CP under the microscope as to all of his transactions since his game entry? You know how it is with lawyers, they will leave no rock unturned.
Please continue to elaborate and speculate. Tell Miss Sarah to jump in again as well. Hey Sarah! {:o) Thanks. Tin
Hey Tinsel.
There's the issue of *money* involved, too. And that is where things start to change.
This is an entirely empty
This is an entirely empty threat and waste of time and money.
OK.
Thanks for your shrewd analysis.
Yea Really. Even if this
Yea Really. Even if this couldn't win in a court of law (and I think it can with the $ attached to the problem) It would not only waste the extortionists time and money like he has done to the sl residents, It would bring a lot of much needed attention to the problem. With a media uproar and courts involved LL couldn't continue to completely ignore the problem.