[opensource-dev] Third party viewer policy

[Gigs]

Robin Cornelius wrote:
> On Tue, Feb 23, 2010 at 8:31 PM, Soft Linden <soft at lindenlab.com> wrote:
>> Mike's correct.
>>
>> If you see any wording that's ambiguous about that, let us know.
> 
> 
> Well there are many other issues another couple are :-
> 

There are many many other issues.

* It gives Linden Lab the ability to delete your private data:

"You agree to update or delete at our request any data that you have 
received from Second Life "


* It includes vague terms that are open ended:

"You must not violate or promote violation of any law or the rights of 
any individual or entity"

Any law?  Including Muslim law?  I guess depictions of homosexuality or 
women wearing normal clothes are right out.

"if you are a Developer, you are also responsible for all Third-Party 
Viewers that you develop or distribute."

Responsible in what way?  No one is going to accept liability for what 
their users do with the viewer software.  The GPL specifically allows 
developers to disclaim responsibility.  Here you give it back to them.

"Expose Second Life users, Linden Lab, or third parties to legal 
liability or harm as determined by us in our sole discretion."

How the hell are we supposed to prevent our users from exposing 
themselves to legal liability or harm?  The Internet is a big dangerous 
place.  We can't be responsible for what users do.  Period.

"we may request that you add, modify, or remove features, functionality, 
code or content, and you agree to comply with the request within a 
reasonable timeframe specified by Linden Lab."

The remedy should be solely limited to termination of access to the 
Second Life service.  Linden Lab should not be able to "assign work" to 
open source developers.

*No* developer should subject themselves to the terms of this draconian 
"policy".

We are going to need to know how we can "opt-out" of this and prevent 
our viewers from connecting to the Second Life service while remaining 
protocol compatible.  The way that it's written, you apparently wind up 
bound by it if your users connect to Second Life even if you don't want 
them to.