Interesting snippet from a Tech review interview with a guy from Linden Labs.

TR: What’s the nature of the property people hold within Second Life?

JZ: When we say “land,” it sounds like property, but it’s not physical property. It’s intellectual property. People don’t have property rights in Second Life because there isn’t any property.

TR: What about the emotional value of these words? Even if the land is virtual, don’t people get attached because it’s called “land”?

JZ: I think virtual worlds can have a very emotional impact on people. The more time I spend in Second Life, the more I view my office space in Second Life as a real place. In that way, Second Life is having a profound impact on how people think and how people feel. The fact that it can seem so real to people is exactly what makes me most excited about working here.