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HERE is an interesting article about Telstra's territory in the much hyped virtual world of Second Life. Essentially Uluru's traditional owners and the Sydney Opera House Trust are taking an interest in the fact that Telstra is usuing virtual representations of their iconic landmarks in the virtual world. In effect it's an examination of an extension of the photographic restrictions in place for said icons.

I have seen a couple of documentaries about virtual worlds, Second Life, etc and I do find it fascinating bordering on bewildering, but I won't expand on that.

The issue of the use of images of Uluru reminds me of a CD of Aboriginal music I saw in a record shop in Darwin many years ago. What was funny about it was the use, on the cover, of an image of Delicate Arch, found at Arches National Park, Utah. It was a commercially shot photo that I had seen whilst there. Apart from any copyright issues, it was just surprising that they used what appeared to be a totally inappropriate photo on the CD cover.

P PS. That eViagra really does work!

Interesting article Stubbsy, I thought the same thing hwen I read about Telstra foray into Second Life. I personally thought it was akin to cyber squatting for Telstra to take the SHB & OH, both of which have no connection to them (I was unaware of Ularu).

What sort of "service" do Telstra offer in Second Life? Is it as virtual as the one in "real life"?

Mind you, it's digital... the icons. It's been recreated, I take it, so I'm not sure what harm is done. If it's been rebuilt by hand on a 3d environment then it's not exactly infringing on the copyright other than being the same shape and the same idea as to what it represents. By that sort of logic, every time I draw or paint (wet media or digitally) the Opera House or Uluru for commercial profit, I should pay the respected entities because the image represents their thing... the entire thing just sounds silly...

Actually, I wouldn't mind a World of Warcraft map of a Telstra building where I can go in, attempt to get my money back for an Undead phone that died this morning, and then beat Sol senseless with it.

Nnnnsic wrote: By that sort of logic, every time I draw or paint (wet media or digitally) the Opera House or Uluru for commercial profit, I should pay the respected entities because the image represents their thing...

Ssssssssh! Don't give them ideas!



Unfortunately they've already thought about it...

Didn't QANTAS just sell a Brett Whiteley painting of the Opera House for $2.4M? How is that not commercial?

They should be grateful that Telstra is giving them free advertising. That's not something Telstra does very often, if at all before or afterwards, give anything away for free.

Digitisation is just representation I thought, much like photography, but again, that's just my moral compass, not the actual stupid laws.

Grev wrote:Digitisation is just representation I thought, much like photography, but again, that's just my moral compass, not the actual stupid laws.

Well, if you use the Opera House in a commercial photograph, it was my understand that you needed their permission and / or to have paid some money to use the right.

But creating a "opera house" that resembles the Sydney Opera House in any form is lunacy.

It would be like the people who run the Harbour Bridge bringing legal action against any other bridge that used a similar steel arch construction.

Nnnnsic wrote:Actually, I wouldn't mind a World of Warcraft map of a Telstra building where I can go in, attempt to get my money back for an Undead phone that died this morning, and then beat Sol senseless with it.

LF 38M Telstra raid, pst Nnnnsic for invite..... Can I bring my druid to tank him?

Nnnnsic wrote:Well, if you use the Opera House in a commercial photograph, it was my understand that you needed their permission and / or to have paid some money to use the right.

But creating a "opera house" that resembles the Sydney Opera House in any form is lunacy.

It would be like the people who run the Harbour Bridge bringing legal action against any other bridge that used a similar steel arch construction.

I hope law makers wouldn't throw their common sense out the door to that level.

trotkiller wrote:LF 38M Telstra raid, pst Nnnnsic for invite..... Can I bring my druid to tank him?

I don't play WoW, just DnD.