Taser International Sues Second Life Creator Over Virtual Replicas

Massively is reporting on a lawsuit filed by Taser International against Linden Lab, the company behind Second Life, over in-game sales of virtual replicas of Taser's products. Quoting: "Basically, a few people in Second Life make some digital replicas of Taser's products that do not have the same function as Taser's products, or props that have the Taser name, but do not have any functions or resemblance similar to Taser products. Some of these content creators also manufacture/sell material that Taser describes as pornographic, or offensive, and they feel that their brand is being linked with these prurient materials, and that they're losing business and sales to Linden Lab. ... Normally you'd just have the content creators named as defendants. Taser's complaint doesn't show much (if any) understanding of what's going on, but it does seem as if they have inadvertently hit a nail on the head. Since Linden Lab's acquisition of Xstreet SL, the Lab is no longer mediating transactions between buyers and sellers. Xstreet SL arguably retails on behalf of sellers, and takes a commission. It's going to be difficult to argue that the Lab/Xstreet SL is not selling these items. That potentially places the Lab in the liability loop."

Re:Everyone in Second Life is gonna yell

[Barradrewda]

Don't sue me bro!

Fixed it for you.

Re:does not compute

[asdfx]

I like that the sentence begins with the benignly presupposing phrase, "Basically...", as if the material following it is set to simplify and clarify the content of the article. Then it goes on to make things more incoherent, with poor use, of punctuation, in, the explanation,. comma, comma, period.p

In other words, "blarf grrblle grble, lasne en fragne, rabble rabble rabble, chuck norris."

Re:second life?

[jamesh]

Taser: Someone is making Taser branded dildo's in your game.

Actually instead of suing, maybe Taser should start making them in real life?

Taser - Electrify your love life!

Re:Get a life!

[Bashae]

Yeah, they should give up their second lives and get first lives.

Then they could spend them here on Slashdot like the rest of us.

Re:second life?

[Opportunist]

I'd be shocked. SHOCKED, I tell you!