Avatar protection within a virtual universe

A method for protecting a protected avatar from actions of a second avatar within a virtual universe, comprising:

• implementing by a processing unit protection for a protected avatar from a second avatar within a virtual universe;
• the implementing protection comprising:
• identifying by the processing unit an activity of the second avatar;
• disqualifying by the processing unit the second avatar from engaging in the identified activity within the virtual universe as a function of a relation of the identified activity to the protected avatar;
• defining by the processing unit a protective action associated with the identified activity and executable against the protected avatar or the second avatar;
• monitoring by the processing unit activity of the protected avatar or the second avatar within the virtual universe for an occurrence of the identified activity;
• and
• executing by the processing unit the protective action against at least one of the protected avatar and the second avatar in response to the monitoring detecting the occurrence of the identified activity;
• wherein executing the protective action comprises at least one of:
• transporting the protected avatar or the second avatar to another region within the virtual universe;
• providing a warning to the protected avatar of a location of the second avatar relative to the first avatar within the virtual universe;
• and
• preventing a proximity of the protected avatar to the second avatar within a graphical user interface display less than a protective distance threshold.

A method for providing protective services to a virtual universe resident, comprising:

• a service provider offering protective services for a virtual universe client resident;
• in response to an acceptance of the offered services, the service provider implementing protection for the virtual universe client resident from a second resident within a virtual universe;
• and
• the service provider protection implementing comprising preventing the second resident from engaging in a proscribed activity as a function of an association of the proscribed activity with the client resident, by:
• the service provider receiving an agreement defining a duty of the second resident with respect to the client resident;
• the service provider identifying the proscribed activity by parsing the agreement and interpreting the duty;
• the service provider monitoring activity of at least one of the client resident and the second resident within the virtual universe for indicia of the identified proscribed activity;
• and
• the service provider executing a protective action against at least one of the client resident and the second resident in response to the monitoring detecting the indicia.

An article of manufacture, comprising:

• a computer readable tangible storage device having computer-readable program code embodied therewith, the computer-readable program code comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer processing unit, cause a computer system processing unit to:
• specify a threshold graphical user interface avatar proximate distance;
• distinguish an activity of the second avatar within the virtual universe as a function of a relation of the distinguished activity to the protected avatar;
• define a protective action associated with the distinguished activity and executable against the protected avatar or the second avatar;
• monitor activity of at least one of the protected avatar and the second avatar within the virtual universe for the distinguished activity;
• and
• execute the protective action against at least one of the protected avatar and the second avatar in response to the monitoring detecting the distinguished activity by preventing the protected avatar and the second avatar from co-locating within a graphical user interface display proximate to each other by less than the threshold avatar proximate distance.

A programmable device comprising:

• a processing unit;
• a memory in communication with the processing unit;
• a tangible computer-readable storage device in communication with the processing unit;
• and
• a network interface in communication with the processing unit;
• wherein the processing unit, when executing program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage device via the computer readable memory:
• detects an avatar activity hostile to a protected avatar within a virtual universe;
• prevents a second avatar from engaging in the hostile activity within the virtual universe as a function of a relation of the hostile activity to the protected avatar;
• monitors activity of the protected avatar or the second avatar within the virtual universe for the hostile activity;
• and
• causes a virtual universe computer application to take a protective action against at least one of the protected avatar and the second avatar in response to the monitoring detecting the hostile activity by preventing the protected avatar and the second avatar from locating within a graphical user interface display proximate to each other by less than a threshold avatar proximate distance.