Second Life laughs off parody site

The company behind Second Life has taken action against a parody website called Get a First Life which uses imagery and costumes from the online game. 

But rather than sue the company, Linden Lab has issued a formal letter giving the site permission to use its imagery for the amusement of others.

Linden Lab said in the letter that Get a First Life is such an obvious parody that it would be "stupid" to try to shut it down, and that companies which do so are behaving foolishly.

"Linden Lab objects to any implication that it would employ lawyers incapable of distinguishing such obvious parody," the letter states.

"Indeed, any competent attorney is well aware that the outcome of sending a cease-and-desist letter regarding a parody is only to draw more attention to such parody, and to invite public scorn and ridicule of the humour-impaired legal counsel.

"Linden Lab is well known for having strict hiring standards, including a requirement for having a sense of humour, from which our lawyers receive no exception."

The case is in stark contrast to those launched by the owners of Barney the Dinosaur, who sent a cease and desist letter to a site describing him as the anti-christ, and Fox Networks which took action against Agitproperties.com.

In both cases the actions caused a dramatic surge in traffic to the relevant sites.

See also:

Update: Campaign group saves man from dinosaur

EFF beats Barney in legal fight  29 Nov 2006

Free speech lawyers beat big purple dinosaur

EFF settles case over NY man's parody site.  28 Nov 2006

Web group in copyright barney

Online purple dinosaur parody threatened  06 Mar 2002

Hackers flame grill Burger King website

Burger King's UK website was flamed grilled by hackers twice today when its front page was replaced with a parody version of McDonald's site.  02 Mar 2001

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