We have a rather odd story this Saturday coming all the way from the idyllic digital shores of Second Life. Last Month entrepreneur Kevin Alderman, founder of Eros LLC, a company specializing in the manufacture of virtual genitalia and intimate action scripts for Second Life avatars, filed a civil lawsuit against avatar "Volkov Catteneo" in a U.S. District Court in Tampa, Florida, alleging that Catteneo broke copy protection on Eros's "SexGen Platinum" and sold unauthorized copies of the program. "We confronted [Catteneo] about it and his basic response was, 'What are you going to do? Sue me?"' Alderman said. "I guess the mentality is that because you're an avatar ... that you are untouchable. The purpose of this suit is not only to protect our income and our product, but also to show, yes, you can be prosecuted and brought to justice."
According to Catherine Smith, director of marketing for Second Life creator Linden Lab, this suit is the first recorded legal fight between two Second Life avatars, though probably not the last, as Linden Lab grants its users broad rights to create and sell content with few restrictions. "Whenever you create a situation where people are buying and selling things and potentially misappropriating them from their rightful owners, it is only a matter of time before the legal system gets called in," said Fred von Lohmann, a senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation in San Francisco. "This seems like a relatively straightforward case. It sounds like there is a real copyright issue."
View: Full Story on SiliconValley.com
According to Catherine Smith, director of marketing for Second Life creator Linden Lab, this suit is the first recorded legal fight between two Second Life avatars, though probably not the last, as Linden Lab grants its users broad rights to create and sell content with few restrictions. "Whenever you create a situation where people are buying and selling things and potentially misappropriating them from their rightful owners, it is only a matter of time before the legal system gets called in," said Fred von Lohmann, a senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation in San Francisco. "This seems like a relatively straightforward case. It sounds like there is a real copyright issue."
View: Full Story on SiliconValley.com
wow...just wow. I wonder how much people paid to be virtually well endowed. Avatars tripping on their own junk. I guess its better than buying fake pills that claim to do the same thing in real life
Another wow!!! from Second life website on buying virtual land.
Islands are priced at US$1,675 for 65,536 square meters (about 16 acres). Monthly land fees for maintenance are US$295.
Something about kids "gambling" I think. I don't get it either, I don't see how trading virtual goods can be considered gambling. By that kind of rationale, kids should be banned from the stock market?
That was a pretty solid arguement back when we were in, you know, fifth grade.
Whatever solve all your problems by suing, it's the American way.
-Spenser
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