The Wake

It’s easy to write off massive multiplayer online games like World of Warcraft as someone else’s nerdy pursuit. But more and more, news about Second Life, a virtual online universe roughly modeled after our own, is making it into mainstream headlines and popular culture. Whether it’s Dennis Kucinich extending his presidential campaign into the online world or the discovery of a virtual pedophile playground, Second Life spawns a unique stream of news that often brings up larger issues of the future of the Internet and society.

Second Life is a virtual world in which people create a digital alter ego (called an avatar) and interact with others from around the globe. It occupies a unique niche somewhere between “game,” “online forum” and “virtual reality.” Second Life is not about completing quests or scoring points—it’s just a big sandbox where you can build whatever you’d like.

Unlike games like World of Warcraft that charge a monthly fee, Second Life is free. The catch is that everything in the game, from property to clothes to cars to furniture, costs real money.

Second Life is less isolated from the real world than you might think. Real life businesses, not wanting to be left behind, have established virtual presences in droves. Retailers like Coke and Sony peddle their wares in virtual shopping centers, while CNN and Reuters cover breaking in-world news with dedicated Second Life divisions.

The Case of the Stolen Sex Toys

The most recent Second Life story to make mainstream news headlines is a lawsuit concerning the illegal duplication and sale of in-game sex toys. Kevin Alderman, owner of the virtual sex toyshop “Strokerz Toys” has filed suit in federal court against the user Volkov Catteneo for illegally duplicating and selling his “SexGen Platinum Bed.”

Second Life allows users to design all sorts of in-game objects like cars, clothes and houses and sell these creations to other users. Many, like Alderman, have created thriving businesses doing just that. But this business model only works if the objects remain “no-copy” objects, a protection that the alleged thief Catteneo was able to bypass due to a glitch in the Second Life software.

Alderman’s sex bed is one of a plethora of objects created to facilitate sex between avatars. The bed includes 100 animations that allow two or more avatars to engage in a variety of sex acts. The bed retails for $45.

Catteneo and an accomplice were able to duplicate this bed and sell it for around $15. When the news of the theft spread, Catteneo felt safe behind the anonymous curtain of the Internet, boasting in an interview with Reuters, “I’m not some kind of noob. My name isn’t on [Linden Lab’s] file. I don’t even have a permanent address [in real life] either.”

Sure enough, it took nearly four months for Alderman’s legal team to track down Catteneo. After subpoenaing Linden Lab (SL’s parent company) for Catteneo’s IP address, the team had to subpoena AT&T for his real-world address. Only then, on October 25, did investigators arrive at the door of 19-year-old Robert Leatherwood’s Texas home. Leatherwood denies that he is the one behind the avatar Catteneo.

Alderman’s case is unique in that the culprit was apparently found and is being prosecuted. In the vast majority of scams and theft in online worlds, that’s simply not the case. All virtual worlds have systems for reporting abuse, but many users question the effectiveness of such systems. Generally, only the most flagrant scammers are caught and punished by the virtual world’s administrators. And that’s only for in-game punishment—seeking real-life legal action for online crimes is much more difficult.

In the case against Catteneo, Alderman was able to file suit in federal court because the offender is an American citizen. But what happens when a user in Thailand scams someone from South Africa? You can bet that legal grey areas like this will become increasingly widespread and problematic in the years to come.

Do online worlds need an in-game court system? Do they need to establish a serious in-game police force? Is it possible that ten years from now, real life police officers will be walking their beats in virtual worlds? Online theft is one of many largely unresolved challenges our global society faces. All we can do is try to be aware.

Society will adapt to this new technology as it always has throughout history, but this era is a bit like the lawless Wild West. So in the future, keep your wits about you, stay informed, and always buy your virtual sex beds from reputable sellers.