Tasha’s place is a new addition to aussie-owned shops in SL, but it’s a little different to others: it’s a non-profit shop. All profits are donated to an organisation devoted to progressing native title and reconciliation. In Tasha’s own words:
“I created this little shop (with help from my friend Justy) about six weeks ago. Initially it was for the challenge of seeing if I could find a suitable plot of land, building a shop and making items for sale. All these things were great fun and learning experiences.
I’m Australian and I love to have Australian art around me so the idea of having that as a theme for the shop was appealing. I wanted to make pictures and simple clothes using the patterns and schemes that I love. Many of these patterns you can see in the shop are from Aboriginal artists and that’s why I run the shop as a not-for-profit business with profits donated to the community organisation: Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTAR). It’s my attempt to promote Aussie art and images while trying not to rip people off through the greyness of copyright in SL.”
“My best selling items are Unisex T-shirts with Aboriginal and Australian flag designs (come by and get one free one at the entrance!), vegemite boxes you can use as a seat and a decorative didgeridoo stand I made. About half of my customers are Australians looking for some familiar things that they can have in their SL. The rest of course are from all over the world. It’s a nice feeling to think that some of my things are dotted about in SL and I hope that people get pleasure from them as I do. I keep prices as low as possible and there’s nothing in the shop that costs more than $L89.”
Whatever the ‘noble’ motives of this enterprise it cannot justify the direct exploitation of artists through the use of their artwork without permission. One would have thought that someone who supported ANTAR would have more sensitivity to the issues than to use Aboriginal art without permission, and infinitely worse, make sexy clothing out of it, and sell it with mod permisisions so it can end up as anything – a dancefloor or whatever (perhaps a teatowel?)
I know the issue of copyright is a vexed one in SL and that the owners of this enterprise think the ends justify the means, but I cannot support the way they are going about this.
Whatever the ‘noble’ motives of this enterprise it cannot justify the direct exploitation of artists through the use of their artwork without permission. One would have thought that someone who supported ANTAR would have more sensitivity to the issues than to use Aboriginal art without permission, and infinitely worse, make sexy clothing out of it, and sell it with mod permisisions so it can end up as anything – a dancefloor or whatever (perhaps a teatowel?)
I know the issue of copyright is a vexed one in SL and that the owners of this enterprise think the ends justify the means, but I cannot support the way they are going about this.
Juanita articulates the ‘strict’ view of copyright in its full RL sense and I respect her position. I believe she speaks as an artist. However I would like to respond briefly to some of her points – first of all I don’t consider myself to be ‘noble’ at all but merely an Australian who is trying to do something positive, however small, about the issue of reconciliation in this country via part of my SL. It is highly likely that the copyright for the images in question no longer resides with the artists but with the buyers of their work – wealthy investors/collectors and maybe large State subsidised galleries. The artists sold their work and with that exchange probably their ownership over the image. Under these presumed circumstances and in the context of SL I do believe that my means are justified by the ends of giving profits to ANTAR. I do think it is better to try to actually do something about racism in this country than to endlessly criticize others from a safe position on the sidelines like the worst kind of academic commentator. I accept that giving mod rights was an error and not an intentional one – I have changed that now and thank Juanita for drawing attention to it. I’m the first to admit that I could be wrong in this – I’m a million miles away from artistic circles and the jungle of copyright lawyers who make a living by protecting private property while other Australians live in third world conditions. I’m only doing what i think is right and I’ll keep doing that until either it fails, I’m convinced to change or I get closed down.
Juanita articulates the ‘strict’ view of copyright in its full RL sense and I respect her position. I believe she speaks as an artist. However I would like to respond briefly to some of her points – first of all I don’t consider myself to be ‘noble’ at all but merely an Australian who is trying to do something positive, however small, about the issue of reconciliation in this country via part of my SL. It is highly likely that the copyright for the images in question no longer resides with the artists but with the buyers of their work – wealthy investors/collectors and maybe large State subsidised galleries. The artists sold their work and with that exchange probably their ownership over the image. Under these presumed circumstances and in the context of SL I do believe that my means are justified by the ends of giving profits to ANTAR. I do think it is better to try to actually do something about racism in this country than to endlessly criticize others from a safe position on the sidelines like the worst kind of academic commentator. I accept that giving mod rights was an error and not an intentional one – I have changed that now and thank Juanita for drawing attention to it. I’m the first to admit that I could be wrong in this – I’m a million miles away from artistic circles and the jungle of copyright lawyers who make a living by protecting private property while other Australians live in third world conditions. I’m only doing what i think is right and I’ll keep doing that until either it fails, I’m convinced to change or I get closed down.