Thank you for your interest in joining the Pro Builders Group.
Important Note: All correspondence to me, or anything else you send me needs your name in its name.
I have tried to make the application process as painless as possible, and for most applicants it goes smoothly and without issue.
Application to the Pro Builder's Group is tacit acceptance of the conditions of the License Agreement and you are expected to understand and follow the conditions outlined in the License. If English is not a fluent language for you, find someone to help translate it for you, so you understand it fully.
These are the requirements of membership to the Pro Builders Group:
1 - Land Ownership.
If you do NOT own land, see below.
2 - Rez and follow the directions of the Test Object.
If you cannot complete the test, see below.
3 - Send a filled out Pro Application notecard to Pips Fetid or complete the online application
4 - Have samples of finished goods to inspect.
If you do NOT have finished goods to inspect, see below.
5 - Be in Second Life more than 180 days.
If you are an alt of someone over 180 days old, see below.
6 - Have payment info on record with Linden Labs or be capable of entering 'adult' land.
7 - Read and understand the license.
If you have questions, see below.
8 - Do NOT have illegally distributed animations in your builds.
See below for details.
*****Note: Applications are reviewed weekly. In-world applications and communications must be sent to Pips Fetid, not Sylva Petrov. Any application sent to Sylva will be delayed substantially.
LAND OWNERSHIP
Your name must appear as the 'owner' of the land in your landmark you give me.
If you have only a stall in a mall, or rent land from a landlord, or other arrangements for 'land' in order to build or sell goods, you will need the listed landowner to IM me, and state that they are familiar with you and allow you to use their land.
The land does not need to be a STORE, properly, it can be a workshop, club, or home you maintain.
This requirement is an attempt to ascertain that someone is not just a throwaway alt, as those will rarely hold land in their name.
Please do not just tell me in your application that you have no store, take the steps needed for me to work 'around' this matter so that it will not delay your application.
TEST OBJECT
The test object is a scripted object. It will, upon being clicked after rezzing, give you instructions in floating text. As each instruction is followed, it will proceed to the next step. When completed, it will email me, informing me of the completion.
Ensure you have permission to run scripts where you have rezzed it. If you have trouble with the test not proceeding to the next step, you may have 'clicked' the object again. Do not deselect the object from edit after a step, keep the edit window open during the whole test, that should prevent that problem. If it seems to not notice that you did what the object asked, ensure you have the proper prim selected by name of the prim. Each prim is individually named to ensure you have selected the correct one. These scripts have been tested thoroughly and so far have not failed to work.
If you think it simply is 'broken' then either rez a new copy, or return to the store and get a new Pro Builders Group - Starter Pack.
SAMPLES
Usually, samples are simply your display samples in your store, when I come to the store to confirm land ownership, I'll look those over as well. Bear in mind that I expect ALL rezzed objects to have the permissions of the contents set in a sale-ready state. This includes samples in rezzers, freebie animations, floor samples not intended to sale, and goods that are 'under construction'. I will assume that anything I see is for sale and will go to the customer as I see it.
If you do not have samples in your store, you will need to provide samples in another manner. You can either rez samples at Sylva's Builder's Rez Area or else send me a folder with samples within.
Do not send loose object to me and ensure your name is on the folder, or I will not know who to ascribe the samples to. All samples should be 'sale ready' with the permissions of the contents set accordingly.
Please do not tell me that you 'don't have any samples' or 'need animations to make stuff'. There are gobs of freebie animations out there to work with and the products you give as samples do not have to be 'functioning' products, though certainly I do prefer to see such. The whole point is permissions of the animations, not the quality of the build.
ALTS
If you are not over 180 days old but are the alt of an avatar that is, simply have your main apply and be accepted, then have them request you be registered as their alt.
All alts are treated as confidential and that information will not be shared with anyone.
LICENSE
No-Modify and current licenses are available throughout the store from small vendors located between the rooms with animations in the three main wings, as well as here. Some older animations include, bundled with them, older licenses. These are not valid and the licenses in the vendors in the halls as of the date of a purchase are the ones that apply as of that purchase date. It is incumbent upon you, as the licensee to keep abreast of changes to the licenses and know that purchasing animations constitutes acceptance of the most current versions available publically. Acceptance of a license by purchase on a date is retroactive to all animations purchased previously once that newer purchase is made. For example: If you purchased most of your animations in 2008, before pricing requirements were introduced, you are not obliged to follow the newer license requirements that were introduced in 2010. However, as soon as you utilize a single animation bought after May of 2010, in a build, the entire build's contents of licensed animations must follow the new license requirements. Changes to the license will be announced in the Pro Builders Group and the notecards available in the hall vendors will be updated at that time, as well as those in these Application Starter Packs.
ILLEGAL ANIMATIONS
I do not generally search for illegally reused animations. That being said, there are some sets out there that are widely-known to be stolen/illegal content. If I do come across those, you will be informed of that, and use of them must end before membership in the Pro Builder's Group can be approved.
These include:
Any animation from the Stroker Serpentine Sexgen Animation Set not made by Stroker Serpentine, himself.
Per https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Stroker_Serpentine_Sexgen_Animation_Set The 62 Animation MLP Set.
Per https://wiki.secondlife.com/w/index.php?title=62_Animation_MLP_Set
Any animation sold by Sine Wave other than Lime Jelly, Hipster, We love you girl, and We love you boy.
Per https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/MLPV2_Public_Domain_Animations
If you are in doubt as to whether or not an animation is an authorized and legal freebie or usable animation, best to err on the side of caution.
The best way to be certain is to buy from the animation's creator, not from second-hand parties.
I do not have a comprehensive list of freebie animations in SL. I doubt anyone does. Assumption that an animation is a 'freebie' just because you found it for 'free' somewhere is a bad idea. If you are in doubt, you can try to contact that animation's maker to confirm it's status for yourself. Many of the creators of old freebies are no longer in SL - likewise many of the creators of stolen animations are no longer about, either, so not getting a reply at all is certainly NOT confirmation.
Copyright and Licensing goes beyond following the 'letter' of the law. There is, assumed in professionals, a 'good faith' effort to follow the law's spirit, as well, and respect the intellectual property rights of content creators. This is a matter of personal ethics, as in doing the right thing, even when you don't have to, even when it's inconvenient.
