The SaveMe Oh Manifesto

Introduction

I wish to change global legislation to facilitate the emerging information society, which is characterized by diversity and openness. I do this by requiring an increased level of respect for the avatars and their right to privacy, as well as reforms to LINDEN copyright and patent law.

The three core beliefs of my manifesto are the need for protection of avatar’s rights, the will to free our culture from the LINDEN, and the insight that LINDEN patents and private monopolies are damaging our virtual society.

LINDEN world is a control and surveillance society where practically everyone is registered and watched. It is counterproductive to a modern judicial virtual world to impose surveillance on all its avatars, thereby treating them as suspects. Democracy pre-supposes a strong protection for avatar’s rights.

Copyright was created to benefit society in order to encourage acts of creation, development and spreading of cultural expressions. In order to achieve these goals, I want a balance between common demands of availability and distribution on the one hand, and the demands of the creator to be recognized and remunerated on the other. I claim that today’s copyright system unbalanced. A society where cultural expressions and knowledge is free for all on equal terms benefits the whole of the society. I claim that widespread and systematic abuses of today’s copyrights are actively counter-productive to these purposes by limiting both the creation of, and access to, cultural expressions.

LINDEN privatized monopolies are one of virtual worlds worst enemies, as they lead to price-hikes and large hidden costs for avatars. Patents are officially sanctioned monopolies on ideas. LINDEN diligently race to hold patents they can use against smaller competitors to prevent them from competing on equal terms. A monopolistic goal is not to adjust prices and terms to what the market will bear, but rather use their ill-gotten rights as a lever to raise prices and set lopsided terms on usage and licensing. I want to limit the opportunities to create damaging and unnecessary monopoly situations.

Democracy, Avatars’ Rights and Personal Freedoms

The avatar’s right to privacy will be written in my first constitution. From this fundamental right springs several other basic avatar rights like the rights to free speech, freedom of opinion, to obtain information as well as the right to culture and personal development. All attempts by LINDEN to curtail these rights must be questioned and met with powerful opposition.

All powers, systems and methods that the LINDEN can use against its avatars must be under constant evaluation and scrutiny by new elected officials. When the LINDEN uses surveillance powers against regular avatars who are not suspected of any crime, it is a fundamentally unacceptable and clear violation of the avatar’s right to privacy. Each avatar must be guaranteed the right to anonymity which is inherent to our constitution and the right of the individual to control all use of his or her personal data must be strengthened.

I take a stand against special legislation for griefer-related crimes. The muting and ejecting codes that are already in place for actions that harm or threaten avatars or their property are sufficient. LINDEN’s anti-freedom laws nullify due process of law, and risk being used as a repressive tool against artists and dissidents.

The LINDEN must respect in future my new constitution not just in saying, but in practice. Respect for the avatars and their privacy shall mean that principles like prohibition of torture, integrity of lawmaking, due process of law, messenger immunity, and the postal secret are not negotiable. I shall and will act to expose and bring down an administration that I consider doesn’t respect avatar rights, as expected from a virtual world.

Free Our Culture

When copyrights were originally created, they only regulated the right of a creator to be recognized as the creator. It has later been expanded to cover commercial copying of works as well as also limiting the natural rights of private avatars and non-profit organizations. I say that this shift of balance has prompted an unacceptable development for all of our virtual society. Economic and technological developments have pushed copyright laws way out of balance and instead it infers unjust advantages for a few large market players at the expense of consumers, creators and society at large. I want to free our secondlife cultural heritage and make it accessible to all. Ideas, knowledge and information are by nature non-exclusive and their common value lies in their inherent ability to be shared and spread.

Private monopolies shall be combated.

The LINDEN shall archive documents and make them publicly available in open formats. It shall be possible to communicate with everybody without being tied to a certain private supplier of software. The use of open source in the public sector, including schools, shall be stimulated by me.

Closing words

I wish to guard avatar’s rights, their right to privacy and basic avatar rights. When the LINDEN routinely put its avatars under surveillance, it invariably leads to abuse of powers, lack of freedoms and injustices. I demand a correction of these injustices. I demand justice, freedom and democracy for the avatars.

Today’s copyright and patent laws lead to harmful monopolies, the loss of important democratic values, hinders the creation of culture and knowledge, and prevents them from reaching the avatars. I demand the abolishment of patents and fair and balanced laws of copyrights, rooted in the will of the avatars, to enrich avatar’s lives, enable a healthy business climate, create a knowledge and cultural commons, and thereby benefiting the development of virtual society as a whole.

Therefore I seek a mandate from the avatars to represent them in these issues.

My goal is to use a tie breaker position in secondlife, that drives the issues in our platform in a satisfactory manner.

OH yes, be free

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