Showing posts with label theft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label theft. Show all posts

Monday, July 9, 2007

Hair Thieves

Rose Columbia from Wilted Rose sent out a warning about a new shop by Schmu Abdallah(when asked, she claims she made all the hair she sells all by herself) that has opened up selling prim for prim copies of top hair designers' wigs and textures. Many of the styles are the copybot versions discussed by Sasy Scarborough in her Copy Bot Items Resold blog report but this shop also has styles there were not part of that group which includes at least one style from Wilted Rose and another from Panache Hair. Be warned that it is not only hair but clothing and furniture at the shop.

The problem is that many new players do not understand the importance or the hard work that designer put into their creations so they go on buying from the thieves. I urge all the designers to file a DMCA with Linden Labs. Once this is filed, if your hair is being sold on SLX or SLB you can file to have it removed from there.

I have tried hard to find the original creators of the styles through exploring and checking in game the styles credited in Sasy's blog but I am still missing some. I urge you that if you like the style to buy only from the real hair designers and not some knock off thief. Unfortunately, as Sasy pointed out, many of the sellers of the items in her blog do not even know they are selling stolen hair designs because they bought them as part of a business kit on SL Exchange or SL Boutique. If you can help update this list, please let me know. I wanted to thank Wednesday Soon for helping track some of these down with Sasy and I.

A. Black Night/Dye Hard - ETD - Shara II - Modeled by Pica Paperdoll(discontinued)
B. Red Run/Tangles - ETD - Airy (which now costs $1L at ETD for a fat pack)
C. Red Explosion/Tease Me - Panache Hair - Faith Midnyte (which is only $5L for a fat pack at Panache)
D. Biker Hair - Happy Dispatch - Wolf
E. Men's Spiked - Unknown
F. Red Ruffles - Rising Phoenix Designs - Wicked
G. Bun Fun - Kin - Chu
H. Brunette Magic/Eclipz - Taunt - Stephanie or ETD - Starley
I. Blonde Beauty/Top Knot - DG Innovations - Windy
J. Anime/Power Surge - Barerose - Exodus
K. Cherry Bomber - Unknown
L. Male Charcoal Hair - Launa Fauna - Pulled Back
M. Shear Illusion - Panache Hair - Drakk
N. Lock of Luck - Wilted Rose - Erika
O. Classy - Hair by Cher - Miss Elegance (which is free at Hair by Cher)
P. Mane Event - Gurl 6 Hair - Unbrushed
Q. Choice Cut - Unknown
R. Cut Loose - Candi Honey's Greta (Free at SYD and other free places on SL)
S. Sassy - Here Comes Trouble - Mallory (which is only $1L for a fat pack at HCT)







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Update 6/6/07:
I am slowly adding links to pictures of the real style by the real designers. On an added note, apparently they really don't like Sasy or I because we have the rare distinction of being banned from their land twice for talking. Be careful folks, discussing with landowners about theft can result on banning. LOL.

Originally posted 6/5/07. Redated for updated information.

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Update 7/9/07:
The latest word is that after going through the DMCA process, one designer got Linden Labs to make Schmu Abdallah take down her style. However, she put it up full perm that same day under the name "Kiss My A**". The following morning the new style was down and the old style, the one the DMCA was filed on, was back up again. The designer was told by the Linden who handled this claim to refile her claim. My question is this: Why should she have to refile the claim when this person is clearly not complying with the original claim? This is crazy. So basically this can begin a endless loop of her being told to take it down and her putting it back up with the poor designer having to refile over and over. This system is clearly not fair.

Originally posted 6/5/07. Redated for updated information.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Hair Theft.....*sighs* Again!

We all need to get together and take a stand. Nothing seems to be happening regarding all this recent prim for prim theft of hair recently. The only updates on the theft reported last week is that the thief has no remorse and feels the designers should be flattered that she chose to steal from them. Schmu Abdallah has the support of her friends and partners who believe she is doing no wrong: Jaxon Warf, Jaxon Wildcat, Tuit Timtam, and Bell Innis. Right now all we can do it ban them from our various sims. (Yes, I know they can make alts but this is the only proactive step that Linden Labs has placed in our hands).

On to the latest, I get a Yahoo message from Laynie Link to go look at an ad on SLB. For sale we find stolen copies of Calico Creation's Amy for sale by Augustus Flannery. A search of both SLB and SLX turns up sales of the stolen hair mentioned last week and this newest theft. He claims he got it as a business in a box but he is the only person selling anything by Calico Ingmann. Calico asked for her items to be removed but Augustus has thus far refused. Update: The items are down from the shop and SLX but not from SLB.

Laynie Link wearing Amy a few months ago at a fashion show:


Calico Creation's ad:


The thief's display:


It is sad that right now the only course of action that the victims can take it to file the long process of DMCA. In the real world, if someone steals from another they get immediate attention to the situation. Designers are fighting back by making these items $1L or free at their shops but they should not have to resort to this.

The stealing and copying of designer's creations is getting out of hand. Add the above with the recent theft of shoe designs and you have quite a list of thieves.

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Update: There user on SLX has finally removed the hair from their box for sale.

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Public Service Announcement

This seems to be getting out of control. Recently there have been a rash of Noobs on SL Exchange who have been buying full perm items like textures, clothing, and hair businesses and then reposting those items to undersell the creators/owners.

By now most are familiar with Sarabi and her legit buyers being ripped off. She was one of the first hit with this but now there have been so many that it is rampant. There are a handful of legit sellers of her items.

Here is a list of the ONLY legit sellers of the items as a full perm kit:

Sarabi Spatula/Sarabi McMahon (She can be found in game at her shop Tangles!)



Sinnocent Mirabeau
Full perm hair (9 styles lots of colors) - $1L or at Hairspray



Digit Darkes
X3D Textures - $0L

Pia Farina
375 Hair Textures - PRO Textures - $3000L


WARNING: Do NOT buy stolen hair. Support designer's right:
Copybot Kit
There is NO legit seller of the following "Hair Business" because these styles were all stolen by the original designers. These styles will tend to list the creator as Philips Replacement unless the seller knows how to re-root the style. Just because the seller's name is listed as the creator does not make it so. Do NOT buy this kit anywhere. You can damage your business's reputation by being associated with this kit.