Content creators in Second Life are outraged as the use of a program that allows users to replicate existing content, without paying for it, is spreading wildly in the virtual world.

The thievery may be taking place in a virtual world, but it's costing businesses and content creators in Second Life some real money, CNET reports. The program is called CopyBot, and it allows users to replicate any object in Second Life. The program was created by LibSecond Life, which claims to be "an open-source effort to create a stable platform for third-party Second Life development."

But the misuse of the program to copy items in Second Life is a scary proposition for users who create and sell content in the virtual world - and for many of whom their online presence has become their actual livelihood. What's most troubling to users is that it isn't clear whether Second Life can do anything to stop the problem. Second Life suggests that users could file a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) complaint - in the real world - against offenders.

Unfortunately, that would take time that many content creators can't afford to lose. Linden Labs has also threatened users of CopyBot with banning their accounts.

Coupled with concerns that real-world marketers have begun an invasion of their virtual world, the disruption that CopyBot is causing could result in Second Life's members' packing up and moving to greener virtual pastures.