A Jury of Your Avatars?

Katherine Mangu-Ward | June 15, 2007

Linden Labs, the creators of Second Life, get sued for booting someone out of their virtual property:

Setting itself apart from other creators and operators of virtual worlds, Linden announced in late 2003 that it would recognize full intellectual property protection for the digital content created and owned by participants in Second Life. Consequently, Second Life avatars may buy, own and sell virtual goods of all types. Of significance to this particular case, avatars may purchase virtual land, make improvements to that land, and rent and sell land to other avatars for profit....

A dispute occurred when the plaintiff then acquired a parcel of virtual land called Taessot for $300. He claimed that Linden sent him an e-mail advising him that Taessot had been purchased improperly as a result of an exploit and that, as a result, Linden took Taessot from him. The plaintiff also claimed that Linden then froze his account and effectively confiscated all of the virtual property and currency that he had maintained in his account with Second Life.

CNET sees a virtual solution:

Real disputes can occur when it comes to virtual worlds, and those disputes are leading to litigation in real courts. Perhaps at some point a virtual judiciary will be set up in a virtual world so that disputes can be decided by judge and jury avatars. Who knows? Of course, whether real disputes emanating from virtual worlds could be effectively and conclusively resolved in a virtual courthouse remains to be seen.

More Second Life here and here.

Comments

|6.15.07 @ 5:16PM|#

Virtual judge, jury, and judicial system? Sounds just like Gitmo.

|6.15.07 @ 5:21PM|#

Second Life is an excruciatingly dull reality simulator, and, it seems, on its way to becoming just as much of a pain in the ass as real life.

|6.15.07 @ 5:42PM|#

Or we could just shoot everyone involved and save ourselves the trouble.

What?

I'm just saying...

Pepe|6.15.07 @ 5:44PM|#

These people need to get virtually laid

|6.15.07 @ 6:07PM|#

Huh? Is this real? Is this really happeniing? Habeas corpus is bound to come into play upon appeal. How are they going to do that?

|6.15.07 @ 6:08PM|#

I think I'll buy a virtual computer in Second Life and start my own virtual-virtual reality world within a world.

Stephen Macklin|6.15.07 @ 10:24PM|#

This is just sad.

I think these people need to focus a bit more on having a first life - in the real world.

|6.15.07 @ 10:30PM|#

Stephen Macklin: I think these people need to focus a bit more on having a first life - in the real world.


Maybe we are not in a real life here?

|6.15.07 @ 11:49PM|#

And maybe your whole experience is just a game for me! MWahahahahaha!

oh noes, I've said too much

/scurries off

db|6.15.07 @ 11:53PM|#

I'm going off to "second 'bate".

|6.16.07 @ 8:07PM|#

Pepe-
"These people need to get virtually laid."

You mean people like yourself?

|6.16.07 @ 9:48PM|#

People telling 2nd lifers that they need to get a real life in a blog comments section...is that irony or something else?

dhex|6.17.07 @ 9:46PM|#

in one sense yes mejican.

in another, no:

http://www.rikomatic.com/photos/uncategorized/sl911a_002.jpg

http://secondlife.blogs.com/photos/nwn/more911_012.JPG

http://secondlife.blogs.com/nwn/2004/09/in_the_towers_o.html

dhex|6.17.07 @ 9:49PM|#

ok i take it back this is awesome:

http://www.dragonscoveherald.com/blog/wp-images/poopmobile2.jpg

i did see a furry 9/11 memorial that was either so serious it was offensive or so offensive it was funny.

http://wonkette.com/politics/iraq/second-life-war-protest-ensures-continued-occupation-of-iraq-for-next-1000-years-232899.php

hail satan.

\',:^||6.17.07 @ 10:08PM|#

"i did see a furry 9/11 memorial that was either so serious it was offensive or so offensive it was funny."

http://autokratorlovestick.googlepages.com/Snapshot_023.JPG (NSFW)

Funny seeing you 'round these parts, Mr. Hexler.

dhex|6.17.07 @ 10:10PM|#

autokrator to the rescue.

that's exactly the shit i was thinking of.

also: shit dude i've been rolling here for years.

dhex|6.18.07 @ 12:39AM|#

Copyright laws are necessary for Second Life to really work (e.g., how can you sell virtual property in the game if someone else just copies it)?

|6.18.07 @ 10:45AM|#

These folks need to get a First Life before moving on to a Second.