When it comes to computing, things are never 100%. Codes contain bugs and and things have a nasty habit of just breaking when you really need it not to. Even when something seems totally secure, like GMail, then someone else, such as Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser, will open up backdoors which will lead to exploits that lead to Governments overreacting (because the Germans have never over-reacted before).
Image by Skills Hak
Skills Hak last week released a ban-tool called Gemini Cybernetic CDS, which on paper, sounds a fantastic tool. It ejects avatars using third party viewers which have illicit purposes in order to combat the threat from copybot. The ban is not just limited to the sim in which the avatar was identified, but also every other sim in the CDS network.
The creator insists that the CDS system has not had a single case of a false positive in beta trials. More interestingly is that this system has been gathering information on which viewers that SL users have been using for several months now, and will ban users even if they are not using an illicit viewer anymore. How this system counters against viewers which cloak their identity is currently unknown.
The way the system works is obviously being kept under wraps in order to stop illicit viewers from creating workarounds. However, in a world where piracy is rampant, I don’t doubt that they will find a way. As sad as that is, it is the way of the internet which has grown a culture of wanting everything for free.
So what of this system? There appears to be suspicion surrounding it, and it obviously raises ethical questions of privacy. Just because someone used an illicit viewer once upon a time, is it fair to ban them if they’re not using them anymore? Is CDS really 100% foolproof, and how long before a popular Second Life figure is caught out by it? Is this system just vigilantism to the extreme, and should Linden Lab be the ones who govern this sort of discipline?
There seems an element of Orwellism in the way everyone is now being watched. Although I have no issue with disclosing the viewers I have used, it does make me wonder what other information can be harnessed by other SL users, and how it may be used.
Ana Lutetia on February 22, 2010
Well said, Prad! I do wonder the same.
Dima on April 18, 2010
Guys? Shake your head a bit and realize that ‘someone making lots of money against your silly fears. Why silly? Okay, let me explain/open your eyes.
If i want to copy your skin/clothing etc i wont do it in your SIM. Simple, isn’t it? And if i won’t find the skin i want today, i will find it tomorrow worn by an unsuspected avatar and copy it. If not tomorrow, then the other day and so on.
Just step back a bit and look each other and think. There’s NO way to stop them from visiting your land. Wanna here something else too?
Well, did you ever thought how much money you losing from people who they “Yes” using illicit viewers? No, don’t laugh. They always buying stuff from your stores as i do. I have spent in that #$%^ game more than 10.000$. Why I’m using that so called illicit viewer? Because if you have alts then ‘at least’ you shall save some money from buying skins, shapes and some clothing layers again for 2nd or 8th time. Why someone to copy hair or prims that shown in world who is the creator? Nobody is so fool.
If they selling your products and making money with them then ‘Yes’ report them and ban them. Not to mention how many in here used/using these viewers and they act like saints. You are such hypocrites.
What i want to say as a summary is this: Save your money and enjoy, don’t ban people who they paid a fortune to you but they chosen to use these viewers because they wanted to transfer some “ALREADY BOUGHT” items to their alts or modify the color or the shape of the clothing like push a side of a dress to make it more perv etc or make it look like ripped for their “OWN” use “NO” sale!
And i left the best for the end;
After long research on how the hell this thing works, i figured it out. I swear to my life and as you see till now i’m talking direct to all of you. “Yes!” i have the way to walk around ‘finally’ in my fav shops with my fav viewer without to get banned, the only sad is that i can’t with my already banned avatars cause the name is in the server.
So as you can see:) there is a black hole to that system that you have it so high in your eyes and believe me again that there is ‘NO’ way to get fixed, is not a bug, is just how the system works.
With kind regards and love
“Dima”
Kim Food on February 22, 2010
Well it happened a few times already. There is many Anti-copybot bloggers out there who actually blogged about the illicit viewers and how they can rip off everybody’s hard work. Sadly some of those bloggers used their main accounts to try-out the 3rd party viewers. Now those people who spent so much type whining and bitching against copier are getting banned from all the stores in SL choosing to use this “miraculous” tool in their shops.
Now dont ask me why they used their main account on 3rd party viewers, I still didnt figure that one out yet.
I think LL should take more control as to what viewer can access the grid. Yes the codes are freely available, and Emerald is a very nice alternative to the original viewer, but LL should test and approve viewers that meet the ToS… why are they allowing 3rd party viewers to connect to the grid only to violate the ToS?
So basicly if you ever tried one of the “known copy-bot clients” using your main account and go shopping tomorrow… it will be your last shopping experience on this account.
Mr X on February 22, 2010
Actually I’m thinking that this MAY be illegal to use. I’m pretty sure that there are a number of rights that an individual has around information that is collected about them unknowingly, processed automatically, and processed in a way that is to their detriment. Plus any user has the right to request that all information about them is deleted unless they’ve agreed otherwise.
If this orb is storing the data, not only in the database, but also in the ban lists of the areas where it’s being used – these things may not be possible, and that MAY make it illegal. Also, it means the data is not secure as anyone can take a look at the ban lists of any parcel – this too MAY be illegal.
Sorry for all the MAYs but I’m no lawyer so I can’t be certain
jaco on February 22, 2010
innocent until proven otherwise, anyone?
Lloyd on February 22, 2010
@jaco
You’re assuming this is a criminal situation. This is a civil action, and has RL parallels.
Basically, you can be banned from nearly ANY private property in RL by the property owner, for almost any reason. The property owner can simply choose not to associate with you, and issue a “do not trespass” notice. This is enforceable by law, and can lead to arrest if violated. This is a very common tactic used against shoplifters when the value doesn’t make prosecution worthwhile. It does NOT require an arrest, trial, or conviction.
Since the AV in question is NOT banned from all of SL, but only from private property, the situation is exactly parallel. A tool has been provided to residents that allows you, after many years, to choose not to associate with those using a certain set of griefing/theft tools. The device also allows users to communicate rapidly and share information… much like a business newsletter in the real world. From the sales figures on XSL, it’s rather obvious that this tool has been greeted with a great deal of enthusiasm from long-suffering creators. Finally, the first small step has been taken against rampant ripping.
It’s a pity it wasn’t Linden Labs that took it.
Beckie on February 22, 2010
“Finally, the first small step has been taken against rampant ripping.”
Definately not the first. If you ever go into a sim and see green text pop up saying “!quit” that’s a very early (and now completely ineffective) anti-copying system. There’s also CryoBan, which was created to stop users of the CryoLife client.
Felicity on April 17, 2010
Any private property? Not so sure. Seems to me that argument was made in the US back in the 60′s. My house, yes, I can , lock the door and prohibit entry. But when your land is open to the public, a different standard applies. You should not be allowed to discriminate unreasonably against any class or group. I am reminded of Heart of Atlanta Motel v United States. http://www.oyez.org/cases/1960-1969/1964/1964_515
kent on February 22, 2010
No one in their right mind would use an illicit viewer with their main account. Those viewers contain like neillife contain a lot junk. Anyone using it with their main account has themselves to blame. Theirs no legit use for neillife, at some point this viewer was ripping scripts before LL closed the exploit. If you read his blog you know exactly why him and has fans need to be banned. Besides I have the right to ban anyone i want on my land no questions asked.
Gospel Voom on February 22, 2010
I’ve been using this device for the last couple of days and it’s already banned five visitors at my mainstore. What I find most illuminating is the fact that not one of these banned avatars has contacted me to complain!
Troy McConaghy on February 22, 2010
The name “CDS” also shows a lack of awareness that there’s already a large and long-established community in SL known as the CDS – The Confederation of Democratic Simulators. What will their next tool be called? The Dreamland Disco Ball?
E O on February 22, 2010
Get real; RL shops circulate photos of suspected offenders all the time! It may not be “foolproof” but it does help the shops cut down on “shrinkage”. This is done without the “knowledge” or “consent” of the suspect. Don’t want to end up on a shop’s ban list? Don’t steal from them! Simple. Under EU data protection regulations, data subjects (avatars) would have the right to request personal data from the data holder (whoever that might be) and to request (and enforce, if necessary) corrections to that data. I suspect similar regulations are in force in many parts of the world. So if individuals feel *that* aggrieved, there is recourse under the law. Just like there is recourse via DCMA and copyright law to content creators who have had their work stolen.
Ghilayne on February 25, 2010
It’s interesting to note that while I’ve heard of CDS for anti-copybot, I had never heard CDS to mean The Confederation of Democratic Simulators before searching for the security system. Of if I have it didn’t stick. Point is, there are thousands of entity names out there and unless we’re going to start a Secretary of State for Second Life, it is unsurprising to find similar-sounding and duplicate names in use. Perhaps the Democratic Sims end up getting a lot more name interest and recognition off CDS the security system than vice-versa. I agree though… it’s a pity LL isn’t the one running this system. The banning people who aren’t actively on a copybod viewer bothers me. Some folks will have problems because they’ve been curious and stupid, but that shouldn’t ruin an avatar.
Lincoln on February 27, 2010
“The banning people who aren’t actively on a copybod viewer bothers me. Some folks will have problems because they’ve been curious and stupid, but that shouldn’t ruin an avatar.”
For what I know those that find to have been wrongly banned can make an “appel” to CDS and ask to have their rights restored.
Though I guess if one has been often detected in several places it will be difficult to believe that was just a try
David on March 2, 2010
This program also takes a look on your cache folder has well has your log folder, so it picks up your alts to, so forget about using alts on iligal viwers because they’ll get them anyway.
And by the way, it can ban you not just the alts, but your pc too using the serial number of your network card. Fun Fun.
Superman on March 6, 2010
Why none told that copybot is totally unusefull in sim that sell boxed item? copybot, and illegal viewer cant copy content of box, i think that many people are loosing their money for a system that dont really safe theirs creation, a botter just send alt to buy demo or copy around sl, a botter is not so silly to go into a shop, so i think that all ppl banned are innocent
Ordinal Malaprop on March 7, 2010
People banned might not be innocent, but the basic point made by the last commenter is true: using a ripping client in a shop is the last of anyone’s concerns. What are they going to rip? They can’t rip anything not rezzed, so unless you have demo bots or items sitting around, they aren’t going to be copying any of your products.
If they want to copy your item all they have to do is buy it normally, go somewhere else and then use whatever ripping mechanism they have.
This is just another product playing on uneducated fears.
Nacho on March 7, 2010
My case, I’m really innocent, a builder, I wrote explaining that the cds are not a copybotter, I feel persecuted in the land where I always bought everything legally and there are database shopping that are clear are banned, now I wonder if an individual who has used neil life even curious to see how it works and what does it do to protect himself, he could be banned, though still legally bought everything, I feel persecuted, I apologize for my English I’m using a translator, and however, no one can aoiutare, I have a bisness and are a serious manufacturer of weapons, and do not know what to do. owner to whom I wrote for the sim where I have been banned, do not answer. Damn
Nacho on March 7, 2010
I also wrote to the producer of the program, to be released, have not been interested to see if I say the false or true, just say you’re convicted, we can not do anything
FuckyouSkills on March 15, 2010
ok read the ToS its storing data from us to ban any accouns we have, what about somone in your house uses it and gets bannned, now your bannedbecause of them?, and is it even legal to ban a viwer? no I run a Copybot viewer completly legit, why? because it runs better then emerald and LL’s viewer, yet im persecuted because she wants to make a quick buck? the Tos says we cna use whatever Viwer we damn well want as long as we dont break the Tos by ripping and copybotting, so how come when your trying to be legit, they throw you into the same group as everyone else? that bitch should be banned man, banning every viewer so everyones pretty much forced to use emerlad? pathetic much
Robert Ashley on April 8, 2010
Not that I use these so called “Ripper” viewers, all of which are based off of SL’s Viewer, but the new breed of them can now bypass the newest update of CDS and I am sure will continue to do so. All are based off the official SL v1 or v2 viewer and you can’t tell them from it at all. It is a bit of a shame, but LL should be doing something about all this and not the users. Still, it was fun learning how to use WireShark and poking around seeing what is going on. It made me aware of a lot of things.
Ty on April 19, 2010
I think this is insane becasue you like a viewer better you are punished more than half the people with the illicit viewers dont know how to harness the qualities not only that it is faster and better than emerald and sl viewer…
sparkle on April 25, 2010
Gemini and Emerald will get theirs, always a matter of time.
While the idiots pay protection money to Skills Hak AKA Simone Phuc (or is that phuc-up?) you go right ahead and believe this will save you and i’ll prove you wrong.
Give me your store name, let me show you just how easy cds can be bypassed and your items stolen.
Time to get the crap out of your brains. People paying for cds are paying protection money to griefers and thieves that have been previously banned from the grid. their time is coming and it will be soon
Deekin on April 25, 2010
I agree CDS is have the right concept in banning people using copyboys, but the methods i personally feel is bad for businesses.
Firstly, they permanently bans the people that have used an illegal copybot client, so even if the user realizes it’s an illegal client and decides not to use it anymore, they switch to a legal client, they will still remain banned forever in places that uses CDS. Which means, you lost that customer forever.
Sure, they have an appeal system, but how many people knows about the appeal website? And how many people bother to even appeal? They can easily take their money to elsewhere, since business competition is high in SL.
It might be way better if the CDS ban is a non-permanent one, giving potential customers a chance to switch to a legal client, in which will give the business a chance to increase profit from those customers too.
Also, it would be better that CDS send an email or somehow notify the person on why he/she is being banned on where they can file an appeal.
Overall, CDS system is doing great in getting rid of copybotters, but not friendly for businesses who are really interested in gaining profits at this moment.
jose on April 29, 2010
[17:54] : A mi me han contado que están tambien usando el sistema para incluir en el mismo a programadores que tuvieron problemas con la creadora
[17:55] : van apareciendo conforme a un algoritmo temporal en la base de datos y si la víctima pasa por cualquiera de los sitios donde tienen instalado el CDS lo rebotan
[17:55] : y lo incluyen.
[17:55] : Maquiavélico, verdad?
[17:57] : El sistema parece que funciona por alquier. Les alquilas su aparato pagando por meses, creo. Y generalmente si la gente no tiene ningun resultado, si no atrapa a algún “ladron” deja de alquilarlo, así que incluyen personas aleatoriamente, como dije, y luego crearon una hoja de reclamaciones apra poder quitar de la base de datos a los que ellos quisieran teniendo una justificacion externa.
[17:59] si eso es asi, asusta ya que sacaran a cuanta parroquiana pase por ahi y de mala suerte
[17:59] : Al principio atendían por IM pero tienen tantos “falsos positivos” como ellos los llaman que ya no atienden y solo lo hacen a través del formulario de “apelaciones” jojojo de su página web.
[17:59] : y LL que hace al respecto no seria mejor que esos LL diseñara algo parecido
Garu A. on April 29, 2010
I have made a wonderful discovering this morning! Look in this very well documented and exquisite phrasing Spanish-language site:
http://secondlifefallacies.blogspot.com
JuanFra on May 11, 2010
Hay una explicacion muchísimo mas sencilla sobre cómo funciona el CDS. Si aplicamos la navaja de Occam seguro que muchos estarán de acuerdo en que es la más probable:
La mayoría de los visores con funciones ilegales han sido hechos por el mismo equipo de hackers aparentando ser distintas personas (incluso peleadas entre ellas, para dar más veracidad al engaño). Estos hackers venden sus visores ilegales trucados y con dichos visores, además de sacar el dinero a la gente en la venta, sin que ellos lo sepan les toman sus datos de nombre de avatar y password al conectarse (es extremadamente fácil de hacer y todos recordarán la cantidad de comentarios que se han leído en los foros acerca de que al conectarse siempre fallaban la primera vez con cada avatar nuevo, misteriosamente)
Estos datos van directamente a la base de datos que hoy se usa en el Gemini CDS, junto con el nombre del visor utilizado y alguna que otra información más.
Después este mismo equipo finge haber inventado un gran sistema de detección de visores ilegales (como el CDS) y cobra dinero también por utilizarlo, así como cobra dinero por quitar de esa base de datos los nombres de quienes lo paguen (sin hacerlo público, claro). Por cierto, en esa base de datos hay mucha gente que jamás ha usado un visor ilegal, pero que ha sido incluída ahí por Skills Hak para perjudicarlos por ser competidores peligrosos o gente de la que se quería vengar; como no tiene que demostrar nada puede hacerlo cuando le venga en gana. Es decir, es todo un negocio pensado así ya de antemano desde el principio. Un negocio que LL debería abortar ahora mismo si es que no tiene nada que ver con dicho negocio.
De ese modo es fácil comprender por qué y cómo los nombres están en esa base de datos y por qué puede saberse de antemano cuáles son todos los alters utilizados por la misma persona y por qué esa persona queda baneada automáticamente a través de cualquiera de sus nombres de avatar, aunque ya no utilice nunca más alguno de los visores ilegales por los cuales averiguaron sus datos.
Los expertos en estos temas aquí sabrán que lo que he dicho es muchísimo más fácil y simple de hacer que cualquier sistema de diálogo HTTP interno mediante scripts hacia el parcel multimedia
Por cierto, he podido comprobar que una de las cosas para las que sí que funciona realmente el CDS es para enmascarar cualquier labor de copia ilegal que Skills Hak quiera realizar con su script en el terreno de quien lo instale (y tambien con bots no necesariamente en el mismo terreno)
El aparato permite copiar libremente al disco duro de Skills Hak y sus secuaces (Ash Qin, LukaStar Mattercaster, Cinndreia Messmer, GEMINIbot Inventor, Lonely Bluebird, Fractured Crystal) todo lo que se halle en el terreno que lo tenga instalado, constantemente. Incluso cualquier cosa que se ponga después. Además, también permite que algunos visores ilegales fabricados por ella puedan conectarse a ese terreno sin ser detectados ni por LL. ¡Menudo negocio han hecho los dueños de tiendas dejándose engañar por hackers! 
DD Les está bien empleado por creer ciegamente en algo que jamás les han mostrado ni demostrado y que encima perjudica a sus clientes actuales y a todos sus clientes potenciales.
Skills Hak – Simone Phuc Secondlife CDS against the TOS and Bundesdatenschutzgesetz « Vienna Freebies on May 18, 2010
[...] http://blog.pradprathivi.com/2010/02/21/gemini-cybernetic-cds-second-lifes-orwellism/ [...]
charly c on May 19, 2010
im on the list … ive never copied anything, dont want to , actually spend a LOT on skins,clothes,only ever used various emerald,sl viewers, and a text only viewer occasionally, and never noticed that im banned anywhere , except for havin ma tits out !
Lilly on June 16, 2010
I will say here why I hate CDS, and Dislike Skills Hak in SL <— Notice I didn't say hate.
Skills Hak is a good person, a Good Creator, Someone before CDS was ever out I went Shopping with, Talked to before, was really nice, but when CDS hit the market that changed my life, and my friends lives forever.
My Personal Feelings towards CDS are pretty much explained here.
http://www.sluniverse.com/php/vb/general-sl-discussion/40930-copybot-ban-link-system-clear-39.html#post942728
And My Last Personal issue, Why do people Trust Skills Hak for? His account was born in 2008, unless he has alternate accounts, I was here 2 months before his avatar was ever made in Second Life. Is he some Kind of scripter who can prove that he has certification to even work a Servers/scripts Real Life, or just someone who wants to make money off of Second Life, and doesn't really care about SL as a whole?
**About CDS**
I Like CDS for the reason it helps Detect/Ban Copybotters.
What I don’t Like or approve of is how CDS Functions, and Works.
CDS Logs the following about users who have Voice, Media on, or another method very few know.
IP Address, Operating System, Internet Browser, SL Client Name, Client Skin, and such. It stores this info, Time of detection, which sim, ect. in their database forever, which should be 100% Private. Also the Emerald Team works with them, and I don’t trust either.
**CDS NEEDS**
I think CDS should be removed from SL, if not banning Skills Hak, unless the following Conditions are met.
1. The system does not Slander people without Evidence.
2. When a user gets CDS banned, they are sent a note card Explaining Why, and given a chance to appeal, because after all not all of us have been banned rightfully, I have had people asking me for help over this issue before in world, because they didn't even know what happened or what to do, people I trust who have been CDS banned.
3. White List by CDS Owners. This is the Lame Feature, I would have to go all around over 180 + Stores in SecondLife, and say the Following.
Excuse Me, Can you please white List me on CDS, Skills Hak Refuses to read my appeals, or my friends, and we have been unfairly banned. ** However the problem with this is that CDS Immediately Kicks you off a region, you dont know who to contact all the time**
4. CDS Automatically Unbans avatars after 3 months of being Banned, This gives the Creaotr Enough time to file a DMCA report, and get the user Banned, and automatically unbans them from the system if they have not been proven guility. Although it is easy to frame anyone in Second Life today with New Clients, I have seen it done up close to people others have hated.
If they can not provide such service, then they should Retire CDS, it is runing our Second Life as a whole, and Causing Linden Lab Loss of profit. Some of my favorite Lindens even got Fired/Were forced to quit working without notice for Linden Lab, because of the issues. Every Transaction we make in Second Life, helps our community, With CDS out there, not as many people want to shop, or even use the Second Life service, even more now that all the Stuff is flying around google about all the abuse allowed in world.
**About Me**
Unlike inexperienced People in Second Life. I Know how to detect Copybots with proof that they are involved in it, and I gather evidence before ever making such statements on the internet, however doing so also Required me to use a client which was illegal, and that is how I got CDS banned myself, with no way to appeal. I was helping a friend compare some Content he created to a Copybotters Content, and the ID's to find out how they had done it, and which client they used and such, and file a proper report, when I got CDS banned, because I left my media and SL voice on not knowing how it detected, But trusted Skills Hak to take an appeal from me, or my friends who were unfairly banned. It is Clear to us, that Skills Hak, Does only what is in his best interest, not what protects our community, and for that there will be a price for all of us supporting him to pay in the future of Second Life, including Second Lifes own Destruction.