Second Life imbroglio'd by sex suit

  • By thorsen-ink, GameSpot
  • Posted Aug 10, 2007 12:11 pm PT

Though its developer Linden Lab says it's not technically a game, Second Life gets plenty of attention as one from the mainstream press. The latest Reuters story to emerge from the PC life sim is more prurient than previous tales of political candidates' virtual hustings and in-game businesses'...

Though its developer Linden Lab says it's not technically a game, Second Life gets plenty of attention as one from the mainstream press. The latest Reuters story to emerge from the PC life sim is more prurient than previous tales of political candidates' virtual hustings and in-game businesses' real-world profits.

In 2003, Kevin Alderman launched SexGen Platinum, an applet that equips Second Life avatars with realistic genitalia and allows them to engage in virtual sex via X-rated animations. Since then, the 46-year-old digital Larry Flynt has done brisk business by selling the applet for $45 a pop--so brisk, in fact, that he is now suing a Second Life subscriber who he claims illegally distributed the applet.

"It's a piece of software and software is copyrightable," said Alderman's lawyer, Francis X. Taney. "It's also expressed in graphics, which also are copyrightable. There is some sizzle. People like to say it's really far out there, but at the end of the day I equate it to basic intellectual property principles."

205 Comments

  • penpusher

    Posted Jun 28, 2009 12:19 pm PT

    bloody program does my head in, the amount of people I see who dedicate practicaly their whole real life to this virtual fantasy is just mental lol

  • Phebee

    Posted Jan 21, 2009 1:46 am PT

    lol this game isnt purly on sex sick or perverted stuff ---that you find normally well everywhere. The game itself is still free and create anything you want ---ok sure theres sex areas in sl as in real like or looking to your thumb posts you secretly traffic cause dont want mom to know your doing naughty things now...Virtual this and that its not really virtually till you can actually feel see touch ...lol the kind of virtual they have covered up ..I dont wanna call anyone any names cause they are ignorant go see sl then judge not judge it blindly by ignorance and speculation .. Oh btw yes theres pervs and loosers and all the ppl that dont get a clue maybe someone like you..want to know truth most ppl on sl are actully female the few guys there make grand things example a m1a1 abbrams tank 00 i see no sex in that or a concert lame and vertual but yet better than wow or games like it .... Well real life hmm is a show on tv with 7 loosers in a house or a 80 rock band oo that one real life = a sorry ass existance a second life = same thing cause your you no matter what you do . Talk the talk or walk the walk just dont tread on me ---phe

  • stupidxaznxboi

    Posted Dec 23, 2007 9:40 am PT

    These sort of things always happen.. it's just funny that it's a controversy over virtual genitals, lol.

  • acarrillo

    Posted Sep 6, 2007 11:36 pm PT

    me too! real life

  • NinjaMunkey01

    Posted Aug 16, 2007 1:27 am PT

    rusty_13 i like more this thing called "real life"

    I agree.

  • lypur

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 9:23 pm PT

    We've sunk to a new low where, someone is now sueing the ass off someone else what's next?

  • rusty_13

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 7:17 pm PT

    i like more this thing called "real life"

  • x-wing20

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 5:18 pm PT

    1st life + 2nd life = no life.

  • knux15

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 2:14 pm PT

    As far as I knew anything created with the SDK was viable to Freeware Licensing but that may have changed since I last looked at it, in an effort to resolve this I would think Second Life devs should change the EULA to where it is under GPL or make a DEFINITE agreement on the Intellectual Property ownership of said content. Also is this content Age Gated in any form or is it free to everyone? And also spending $45 for a freaking sex sim? Geeze people just buy the old GTA SA and put Hot Coffee on it... Oy

  • playstation_wii

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 1:11 pm PT

    What kind of sick, twisted game is this?!?!?!?!

  • kave-man007

    Posted Aug 13, 2007 4:18 pm PT

    What kind of guy gets this

  • surrealme

    Posted Aug 13, 2007 2:15 pm PT

    Forget to take your meds this morning, axia? You don't like SL? Cool. Just don't use it. If you think that somehow makes you better than those people who do enjoy it, then that just makes you the kind of sad little jerk that bashes other people just so you can feel superior. I've been involved in SL for several years, and while I don't personally get into or enjoy the sex side of it, what's it to me if other people do? To each their own. But seriously, get some therapy. You obviously have some issues.

  • mike5445

    Posted Aug 13, 2007 2:14 pm PT

    This makes me giggle :>

  • axia_777

    Posted Aug 13, 2007 1:39 pm PT

    @Kazona -

    First off I don't play of like WOW. I dislike it all most as much as Second Life. Yet I hear people like you defending this piece of cr@p you people call a game. It is not a game. It is a cr@ppy looking graphical interface for chatting, nothing more. Sure people make loserly "games" inside SL, but they suck, all of them. The actual program looks like cr@p, play like cr@p, and it's user interface is complete cr@p. It in short, is complete and utter cr@p. So go on and get a first life before all you loser Second Lifers get a second one. I want to fire bomb Linden Labs. They are an embarrassment to the entire gaming community as SL gets lumped in with real games.

  • Kazona

    Posted Aug 13, 2007 1:18 pm PT

    While I find the whole idea behind this suit to be rather outrageous, Second Life has always been very clear about the fact that what you create for use in the game is considered your intellectual property. And like all intellectual property this, too, is protected by copyright law.

    What I find the most laughable, however, is how people here all bash Second Life, yet there are about 9 million people who play hours on end in World of Warcraft, repeating the same battles over and over again in an attempt to get from level 25 to 26. At least Second Life has variety to it, and offers something for everyone, without making you pay 15 bucks a month...

  • Bloodhawk_DX

    Posted Aug 13, 2007 1:11 pm PT

    Get a first life, and you wont need a second one.

  • DrKill09

    Posted Aug 13, 2007 12:21 pm PT

    What the hell?! Crazy!

  • TQ_NintyNoE

    Posted Aug 13, 2007 12:12 pm PT

    I suppose if you're desperate enough, why not just use the money for buying the applet on a real girl? However, I wouldn't recommend that! it's slightly creepy still, and definitely Illegal...well...in Britain anyway!

  • 7e5

    Posted Aug 13, 2007 8:54 am PT

    how long do you think it will take for the government to now try and ban this software, and clamp down on second life now?
    i guess that way the 2 parties at hand can stop their bickering now

  • guppieface

    Posted Aug 13, 2007 8:23 am PT

    oooooooh yeeeeeeeeahhhhhh. more pics please. ooooooooooooohhhhh yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

  • concealedview

    Posted Aug 13, 2007 5:54 am PT

    This is kinda stupid. But I also hate the fact that I can barely tell what the article is about. This isn't the first time that's happened either. Gamespot has to write these little news stories a little more clearly.

  • BigbadNDNboi

    Posted Aug 13, 2007 5:47 am PT

    Do we have to wait for 2.0 for the Venereal Disease patch?

  • ArfenZard15

    Posted Aug 13, 2007 5:42 am PT

    Francis X. Taney eh...what the hell could X be!? Xavier? That's all I can think of!

  • ScottHFC

    Posted Aug 13, 2007 2:27 am PT

    You are a creepy freak if you play that game.

  • teh_leeto

    Posted Aug 13, 2007 1:14 am PT

    same thing as piracy except its in a game really...and this time the balls aren't real...

  • GIJesse77

    Posted Aug 13, 2007 1:00 am PT

    what sicko makes an animated sex software anyways? Oh, a bunch of them on the internet.

  • NeoNavarro

    Posted Aug 13, 2007 12:14 am PT

    I'm just going to look the other way... and pretend I never read this...

  • TheDevilFrog

    Posted Aug 12, 2007 11:44 pm PT

    Virtual dogging anyone?

  • Gigatron

    Posted Aug 12, 2007 11:19 pm PT

    bow chicka wow waaah! Now THAT'S what I call a sticky situation!

  • OnlyTbone

    Posted Aug 12, 2007 10:12 pm PT

    pointless....omgz you copied my dirty mind, screwed up in the head, porno game ideas and gave it to other messed up people. OMGZERZ IM gonna suiz you, let me jerk it first! OMGZ

  • sirkel28

    Posted Aug 12, 2007 8:54 pm PT

    This is what happens when people have too much time on their hands.

  • meowmix07

    Posted Aug 12, 2007 8:31 pm PT

    Hmm. This is really stupid. Equally stupid to the 'nude patch'. I wonder what losers sit around and make this stuff up. Oh yeah, obviously this guy did, now he wants his rights to it. Rights to what? Cartoon porn? Real nice. And anyone who's willing to pay $45 for animated intercourse is obviously sad and lonely. What a disturbing world we live in. I'd murder myself before I was to defend an idiot who would make some crap like this.

  • Ahp12

    Posted Aug 12, 2007 8:10 pm PT

    how 'bout people get first lives first?

  • ItWasTravis

    Posted Aug 12, 2007 7:25 pm PT

    What a joke! I don't know if I should laugh at the $45 sex program or the person sueing lol

  • SnuffDaddyNZ

    Posted Aug 12, 2007 6:31 pm PT

    Wait a minute.

    For this lawsuit to be substantiated I think the suer would have to prove that it is HIS genetalia that he used for the mod - and that's one jury I don't want to be on.

  • V-Nine

    Posted Aug 12, 2007 6:26 pm PT

    .....uuuuuuuuuhuuuuuuunnn. Interesting.

  • whgresiak

    Posted Aug 12, 2007 5:22 pm PT

    Wow anyone that's s desperate for sex as to pay $45 for a Second Life applet that simulates it desperately needs to hang themself

  • Fer1628

    Posted Aug 12, 2007 5:20 pm PT

    Online virtual private organs? To have sex in x-rated images on screen? For $45? Sheesh some people need to get out if you ask me. Publicuty stunt if you ask me.

  • Alucard7321

    Posted Aug 12, 2007 4:26 pm PT

    Second Life is the cess pool of all cess pools. Thankfully you wont contract an STD in the process.

  • joejoe160

    Posted Aug 12, 2007 3:30 pm PT

    You people here calling these two people idiots are the idiots if you ask me. The one guy (the guy that created the animations and wrote the scripts) does have a case. If you don't think so, you should check out SecondLife yourself and then you will learn that he does. Also, SL is free so you have no reason not to.

  • lilsharkhunter

    Posted Aug 12, 2007 3:09 pm PT

    These people need to work on their "first" life.

  • Flatline304

    Posted Aug 12, 2007 3:06 pm PT

    anyone want my mod for a virtual STD?Comes with free scratching animations.LoL is all I have to say.

  • nappan

    Posted Aug 12, 2007 2:47 pm PT

    Cut through the bs sex nonsense and this is just a bland issue of IP and contract law. BLAH.

  • pugkiller

    Posted Aug 12, 2007 2:39 pm PT

    I wonder if its possible to get virtual STD's.

  • mercenar3

    Posted Aug 12, 2007 2:35 pm PT

    if anyone will suffer it will be other gamers that have nothing to do with this.

  • Gamertag-Alidha

    Posted Aug 12, 2007 12:46 pm PT

    You can already tell Kevin is a sick, gay perv, loser, who can't even get a girl. . . er--guy.

  • Frankenfrag

    Posted Aug 12, 2007 12:45 pm PT

    Wow, they'll be suing Hillary next. I hear she has a virtual vagina

  • Stu1515

    Posted Aug 12, 2007 10:46 am PT

    Anyone else thinking Sad?

  • disposablepal

    Posted Aug 12, 2007 9:55 am PT

    the basic issue here is not the sexual nature of the product but the fact that someone is pirating his software. Its basically like a game programmer using the Unreal engine without licensing it from Epic first, the fact that its a sexual product should have nothing to do with the fact that its legal issue.

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