Infopirate.org

high schools are under attack by software brainwashing campaign

http://shvoong.blogspot.com/2008/03/software-industr... 

Interesting look into the reason why jazz festivals can be patented

http://shvoong.blogspot.com/2008/03/jazz-festivals-p... 

there are surprisingly many reasons an invention should not be patented

http://shvoong.blogspot.com/2008/02/top-five-reasons... 

excessively ambitious restaurants try to claim what we have taken for granted

http://shvoong.blogspot.com/2008/02/restaurants-figh... 

A review of a thorough, multifunctional patent searching site, which has a humor section on the most ridiculous patents

http://www.shvoong.com/internet-and-technologies/735... 

The explanation of patenting as a process to protect one's intellectual property.

http://www.shvoong.com/exact-sciences/73746-patent-p... 

Scripter extraordinaire Timeless Prototype has a long analysis about intellectual property and patents in Second Life. In the end he determines that some basic functions are just too important to patent.

OK curiosity may kill this cat but here goes... I am interested in learning more about the whole issue of contractual relationships in SL. Contracts and therefore defacto civil codes begin to arise as a result of the business relationships that emerge. This seems to be the basic role of precedent in business law in RL. How does it apply in a simulated economy ? What experiences have you folks had with contractual relationships.1. Formulation of contracts2. Honoring contracts3. Altering contracts4. Enforcing contracts (if at all)5. Terminating contracts6. Determining the validity of statements of entitlement to SL and RL intellectual property7. Determining whether there's really a contract or notPersonally I don't think the amount of money or the value of the money matters. In fact there is the whole issue of what is valuable - useful/creative/ethical/metaphysical/spiritual and how it is estimated in another value. RL common law often defines a contract as requiring money. Is this necessary? As other posts have indicated, value is largely a matter of perception. I know land is a big issue here but I think a lot of the "property" in SL is actually intellectual in nature. I am not a lawyer and I believe in life without lawyers. Law in any industry seems to be shaped by common industry practice, so I guess i want to uncover some common practices. If my question offends somebody I aplogise and plead newbie ignorance. If there's an FAQ on all of this kick my butt and send me there.

From [url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/25/AR2006122500635_2.html]this article[/url] in the Washington Post:

"Everything in the virtual world is intellectual property, as much as it looks like property or as much as property is a useful metaphor,'' ([i]Cory[/i]) Ondrejka said. "Copying it is not theft. It's infringement, but it's not theft.''

From [url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/25/AR2006122500635_2.html]this article[/url] in the Washington Post:

"Everything in the virtual world is intellectual property, as much as it looks like property or as much as property is a useful metaphor,'' ([i]Cory[/i]) Ondrejka said. "Copying it is not theft. It's infringement, but it's not theft.''