Valleywag
Alyssa LaRoche has successfully obtained a trademark for her Second Life avatar Aimee Weber. Wait, what? Billed as one of the most recognizable figures in Second Life, LaRoche says she had to take steps to protect her virtual image because it's directly tied into her virtual design shop, Aimee Weber Studio. Her firm has produced everything from Second Life's virtual American Apparel outlet to a Peugeot concept car. Linden Lab actually permits Second Life users to keep some intellectual property rights in their unreal creations. But the account itself remains the property of Linden Lab, revocable at any time, without recourse. LaRoche is wise to seek protection for her creations. But she's ultimately foolish to think she really owns anything. She is seeking, in essence, a trademark on a figment of her imagination, in the service of a business of selling figments.
Now Second Life avatars warrant trademarks?
1:43 PM on Tue Sep 25 2007
By Mary Jane Irwin
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