Inventory Backup aka CopyBot

I stumbled upon this website today while searching for more information about content theft in Second Life. This particular website features and sell a program named Inventory Backup. It uses the term backup but it’s actually nothing more than a copybot program because a true backup tool will only allow you to make backup copies of content you created.

One of the selling point made by this particular program is that it is legal and was approved by Linden Lab’s legal team. Now, the funny part is if it’s legal and approved by Linden Lab then why is there a sign in there in-world store saying something about a dispute with Second Life? Makes you think otherwise eh?

This particular program was sold for 3,000L$ and the Deluxe Version was sold for 8,000L$. With the amount of linden dollars people are willing to spend for programs like this wouldn’t it be much better to buy from those content creators who spend time, talent, electricity and even money creating stuff that makes your Second Life better?

LOL! Went to check out this so called legal CopyBot and this is what I found!

As for the backup argument of content you already bought and owned, well, there is a reason why the permission system exist. If the creator made the item COPY only then it means that he doesn’t want you to TRANSFER it or give it away to others, if the creator made the item TRANSFER only then it means that he doesn’t want you to make COPIES of it and the same goes with MOD and NO MOD items. Using a third party program to circumvent that is STEALING from the creator’s potential income and shows lack of respect to the creator as well.

Now, if it’s your own CREATION then do whatever you wish with it. Give it away, sell it for a million dollars, burn it, etc. but if it’s not then respect the original creator’s item permission. Programs like these don’t follow Second Life’s permission system which renders the item FULL PERMS when imported back in-world and with your name listed as creator of the item.

I know that there are residents who are not bothered by issues like this. It’s either because they favor and use programs like this everyday or they simply just don’t care about it because it doesn’t involve them or it hasn’t happen to them. Others welcome the use of programs like this because, even though they don’t actually do the copybotting, they will benefit from it when the items are released as FREEBIES.

For your further reading:

• The Thieves Motherload
• Huge Cache of Stolen Content