@Nick Would it help if it was Zynga versus Maxis over Farmville? Or the folks from Infinity Ward vs Activision?

It's a dust-up between two software developers who are in direct competition, both of whom could lose their whole business depending on the outcome of an intellectual property lawsuit.

What does it matter if they make AAA-blockbuster video-game hits, Barbie games, Pokemon, or breedable digital pets? Or do we only count intellectual property rights - and the lawful resolution of disputes - as important if they involve things and media that we 'approve' of?

No, "play" is the wrong word. That would suggest that Second Life represents a game, which it is not. It is more of a collaborative content creation platform. "use" is closer to the mark.

The case is not a new one, and all comes down to whether one party is infringing the copyrights of the other in the development of its software product, if that puts it into perspective.

And yes, there's quite a bit of money involved.