Declaration of Avatar Rights

This document is not Linden Lab's Terms of Service, nor is this document endorsed by Linden Lab for Second Life.

The Declaration of Avatar Rights Set forth on this date December 20, 2009

Article 1 All avatars are created free and equal in dignity and rights. They are to be endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of avatarity.

Article 2 All avatars are entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, species, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the sim or region to which an avatar belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3 All avatars have the right to life, liberty and security of avatar. No avatar shall be created solely for the purpose of traffic creation or sim maintenance without also leading a full and rewarding willful existence within or outside of the sim or region. All avatars have the right as stated in this Declaration.

Article 4 No avatar shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade against their will. No avatar shall be created solely for the purpose of slavery or servitude without also having the right to lead a full and rewarding willful existence within or outside of the sim or region. If they choose to leave the role of slave or servant they must be permitted to do so without negative consequences or recourse.

Article 5 No avatar shall be subjected to biased torture or to cruel, inavatar or degrading treatment or punishment this includes those willingly participating in role playing activities including slavery and servitude.

Article 6 All avatars have the right to recognition everywhere as an individual avatar before the covenant and Linden Labs Law .

Article 7 All avatars are equal before the covenant and Linden Labs law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the covenant and law. All avatars are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

Article 8 All avatars have the right of peaceful protest and to a fair unbiased tribunal. No avatar shall be discriminated against for any actions which request or seek the intervention or enforcement by Linden Labs Law .

Article 9 No one shall be subjected to arbitrary ejection, freezing or banning unless the avatar committed acts which are maliciously against the rights and freedoms of other avatars or are in direct willful disregard of a fair and unbiased covenant.

Article 10 All avatars are entitled in full equality to a public hearing by a fair and impartial tribunal either conducted by private means or Linden Labs intervention, in the determination of his or her rights and obligations and of any accusation against him or her.

Article 11 All avatars accused with an offence resulting in banning have the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to covenant in a fair and impartial tribunal at which he or she has had all the guarantees necessary for his or her defence. No avatar shall be banned for any offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute an offence, under covenant at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the offence was committed.

Article 12 No avatar shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his or her privacy, family, home or correspondence, or to attacks upon his or her honour and reputation. All avatars have the right to the protection of the covenant against such interference or attacks.

Article 13 All avatars have the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each sim or region in accordance with its covenant.

Article 14 Males and females who are of real life age of 18, without any limitation due to race, species, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and partner and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage and partner, during marriage and partnering and at its dissolution. Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses. Marriages or partnerships shall not be limited to only a ‘male partnered to female’ definition. This declaration recognizes the rights of male and female avatars to marry and partner their like gender without discrimination. The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and sim or region.

Article 15 All avatars have the right to own property alone as well as in association with others. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his or her property whether or not the sim or region is found to be at fault and if so shall receive compensation by return of any pre-paid tiers. All avatars have the right to receive compensation by return of any pre-paid tiers if at any time they choose to terminate a rental or tier agreement with at least 14 days written notice.

Article 16 All avatars have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his or her religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his or her religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 17 All avatars have the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Article 18 All avatars have the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. No one may be compelled to belong to an association nor denied access to basic services because of their associations.

Article 19 All avatars, as a member of society, have the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his or her dignity and the free development of his or her personality.

Article 20 All avatars have the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work. All avatars who work have the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for him or herself and his or her family an existence worthy of avatar dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection. All avatars have the right to join trade unions for the protection of his or her interests.

Article 21 All avatars have the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours.

Article 22 All avatars have the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits. All avatars have the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.

Article 23 All avatars have duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his or her personality is possible. In the exercise of his or her rights and freedoms, all avatars shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by covenant solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.

Article 24 Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or avatar any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.