Second Life, the online digital world with nearly 9 million virtual residents, has now spawned a lawsuit.

Kevin Alderman, the founder of Eros LLC, a company that outfits Second Life avatars with realistic genitalia and a handful of intercourse-related moves, says someone has been pirating and selling his work. Alderman claims that his SexGen Platinum product, which goes for $45 in Second Life, was ripped off by an avatar named "Volkov Catteneo," who has since been selling it to other virtual residents. Now Alderman has filed suit to recoup those losses from the real person operating through that virtual thief. Hashing out their differences in Second Life just wasn't going to cut it.

We're not sure if Volkov is actually guilty or not, but his name doesn't exactly scream innocence. Could you ever dream up a better moniker for a science fiction villain?

Anyway, you can read more details about the case here.—Gregory Mone

Via AP