Ya know, Vint ... I just wrote a very long explanation, with citations, about why you shouldn't be giving out advice to the creatives in Second Life about how they should or should not license their works and guess what?

The hell with it.

I deleted it and wrote the following:

If a person calls themself an artist, then they can pretty much do what they wish with their work. If they don't take their work seriously enough to protect it as needed, if they can't be bothered with spending the time to research what rights they have and finding proper advice and not hearsay or half-baked opinions, then they deserve to be ripped off.

Yep, rip 'em off. The Lindens have washed their hands of the whole affair by citing that the creators own the content, so let them sort it out.

After all, it's Second Life: is there any serious art being created there? (that was sarcastic cynicism, BTW)

Look, unless you are a lawyer, you really ought not get to deep into dispensing advice about licensing ... by all means, do encourage people to go check out the Creative Commons license process, explain that as creators they hold copyright and leave it alone. IF they are going to be artists, they need to learn these things themselves and not have their hands held by someone who,though with the best of intentions, isn't giving all the details.

I'm NOT a lawyer, but I have, literally, been on both sides of this issue, so it's first-hand knowledge and experience and at least it is an informed opinion. That's all I am going to say on this matter ... comment as you will, but you run the risk of causing more harm than good. I'm done with this discussion and will see you inworld to play on the 13th ... and as a matter of fact, my performances are covered by a Creative Commons license. :-)