Patent ID: 8214335

Claim:
A method for gifting an instance of a virtual object in a virtual universe, the method comprising the steps of: a computer detecting a selection of the virtual object in the virtual universe by a first avatar in response to a first user input, wherein the first avatar is controlled by a user associated with a first user account of a virtual universe computer network, wherein the virtual universe comprises a three-dimensional computer simulated environment where the first avatar represents the user as an inhabitant of the virtual universe, wherein said computer simulated environment is controlled by one or more processors in the virtual universe computer network, and wherein the selection indicates a desire by the user for the virtual object; the computer designating the virtual object in a wish list for the first avatar in response to the step of the computer detecting the selection of the virtual object by the first avatar, wherein the wish list includes a listing of desired objects by the first avatar available from the virtual universe, and wherein the listing of desired objects are stored in a first data store unit associated with the first user account, said first data store unit accessible via the virtual universe computer network; the computer determining, in response to the step of the computer designating of the virtual object in the wish list, that a second avatar in the virtual universe possesses the instance of the virtual object in a second data store unit associated with a second user account of the virtual universe computer network; the computer notifying the second avatar in the virtual universe of the selection of the virtual object by the first avatar in response to the step of the computer determining that the second avatar possesses the instance of the virtual object; the computer detecting a request by the second avatar, via second user input, to gift the instance of the virtual object to the first avatar in response to the step of the computer notifying the second avatar of the selection of the virtual object by the first avatar; and the computer transferring the instance of the virtual object from the second data store unit associated with the second avatar to the first data store unit associated with the first avatar in response to the step of the computer detecting the request by the second avatar to provide the instance of the virtual object to the first avatar.