Is AvaStar Stealing Content from Other Sites?

by Urizenus Sklar on 23/12/06 at 10:00 pm

Avatard2
Busted!!! Cheri Horton claims that the AvaStar image on the right is ripped and flipped from her screenshot at left.

Is the new Axcel Springer-owned Tabloid AvaStar ripping content from other Second Life News Sources? That’s the Charge being made by Cheri Horton of PixelPulse Magazine. And is she ever P.O.ed. We quote:

The AvaStar, a very poorly put-together rag that just launched in Second Life, has ripped off one of my photos.

Without my consent or even so much as a photo credit, this horrible excuse for a newspaper used a picture of Bad Girls Dance and Fetish Club owner Jesse Murdock on Page 27 of its debut issue, downloadable via pdf here. I initially used the photo for an Apogeevr post that I did on Bad Girls on Sept. 10, 2006. I had posted the picture to my Apogeevr Flickr account on Sept. 3. I even used the story for Issue 1 of PixelPulse, however I opted not to use this particular picture of Jesse. In that sense, AvaStar got lucky. But I still demand a public acknowledgment and apology from AvaStar or I may look into dragging the clowns behind this rag into court. I mean, by now I am used to certain incompetent hacks copying me, but this is ridiculous.

It didn’t help AvaTard make friends when they claimed they would be the first “professionally produced” publication in SL. This is just the begining of the Hate I feel. ::Pulling up a chair, making some popcorn.::

12 Responses to “Is AvaStar Stealing Content from Other Sites?”

  1. Frans Charming

    Dec 23rd, 2006

    Nitpicking, on page 2. That is not a Seamonster created by a IBM employee. But made by Forseti Svarog. You would think their resident experts would know the difference between owning and creating.

    Oh and you should try reading the pdf in Foxit. :(

  2. Wrestling Hulka

    Dec 24th, 2006

    While Cheri Horton may have taken the snapshot I do believe that Linden Labs still holds the intellectual rights over images taken inside the program.

    The case would probably be thrown out.

  3. Wrestling Hulka

    Dec 24th, 2006

    Frans – I noticed that too! While I do have a friend involved in the Big Brother Second Life contest I don’t think the story of buying votes was big enough to be the front page story. I mean…. aren’t there more pressing issues at hand?

  4. Nacon

    Dec 24th, 2006

    OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG he stole the picture!

    God, what a faggy report to read for today.

    Good job, Uriz! You get gold star!

  5. AvaStar Team

    Dec 24th, 2006

    Dear Second Life Herald and its readers,

    As you probably noticed looking through the paper, the edition which is currently online is a dummy version.

    Due to a technical problem the dummy version of our paper has overnight been put online.

    The dummy paper was produced for internal purposes only and should not have been seen by anyone publicly. Therefore the photos would never have been publicised.

    We are locating a technician to put the correct version of the paper online. It is however Christmas in RL and SL – and therefore it may take a few hours.

    Many apologies for this glitch.

    Wishing you a merry Christmas,
    Your AvaStar Team.

  6. Rinced

    Dec 24th, 2006

    No prizes for what the next SLH headline is going to be – something with Dummy perhaps??

    Surprise me guys.

  7. Cardie Mahoney

    Dec 24th, 2006

    Oh so you put the wrong version up. That makes it okay then.
    You thought you were the first tabloid. That makes it okay then.
    I wonder what else is going to be ‘okay then.’

  8. The AvaStar

    Dec 24th, 2006

    The correct version of the AvaStar is now back online at http://www.the-avastar.com

    We apologise for the inconvenience caused by a technical problem with the server that led to some people seeing photos and texts that were only intended for internal use bythe AvaStar.

    However, we believe in transparency, and are happy that you can see how we have been developing the newspaper with the editorial staff over the last few weeks.

    The dummy version that went for a few hours online was an experimental version produced by our staff as we were in the process of developing the newspaper for Second Life.You could see by comparing the two that we have experimented with different graphic layouts, design and formats. It is a process a professional newspaper has to go through, in order to ensure that the end product is right, particularly given the uniqueness of the virtual world.

    We hope you enjoy reading it and look forward to receiving your feedback.

    Wishing you a merry Christmas in SL,
    Your
    AvaStar Team

  9. Frans Charming

    Dec 24th, 2006

    This is wierd i have now 2 copies, named 651 and 652(what is with the wierd naming anyway). And both are exactly the same. That picture Cheri Horton talked about isn’t in either of them though.

    I guess, first the correct one posted, then over written with a dummy and then replaced with the correct one again?

  10. Prettyboy

    Dec 26th, 2006

    OMG the”Unknown resident” informed me that he AR’d me for posting in SLH.

    lmao

  11. Joe Zwenhoffen

    Jun 12th, 2007

    Avastar is also taking the slogan for MetroPost.com, brazenly slapping “Your World Your Voice” on their logo. “Your World Your Voice” is a trademark of MetroPost.com and was established (as well as prominently positioned on their header) well before Avastar began using it. Get your own slogan Avastar!

  12. Ava Cartier

    Nov 27th, 2007

    “It didn’t help AvaTard make friends”…

    Hey, no one calls me AvaTard unless he or she knows me well enough!

    :/

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