Tracking of shared inventory in a virtual universe

A computer program product, comprising:

• one or more computer readable hardware storage devices having computer readable program code stored therein, said program code containing instructions executable by one or more processors of a computer system to implement a method for tracking shared inventory in a virtual universe, said method comprising:
• in response to a shared inventory item being requested, facilitating, by a virtual universe simulator that manages the virtual universe, a copying of the shared inventory item from an inventory source of the shared inventory item to the virtual universe simulator;
• avoiding, by the virtual universe simulator, having to store a copy of the shared inventory item for each instance of a user having rights to the shared inventory item, said avoiding being enabled by and a consequence of said facilitating, said shared inventory item comprising software code being renderable to each instance of the user having rights to the shared inventory item;
• said one or more processors receiving communicated indications that a plurality of different users of the virtual universe have borrowed the shared inventory item in accordance with a sharing scheduling policy under which the different users have borrowed the shared inventory item for use at respective different times, said shared inventory item having an associated item owner, wherein the different users are represented by respective avatars in the virtual universe, and wherein the virtual universe is implemented within a computerized communication network selected from the group consisting of an Internet, an intranet, a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), an Ethernet network, a wireless network, a telephone network, and a broadband cable network;
• said one or more processors determining and storing metadata associated with the borrowed shared inventory item;
• said one or more processors tracking usage of the borrowed shared inventory item by the different users;
• said one or more processors receiving a query requesting performance of an action relating to the borrowed shared inventory item;
• and
• said one or more processors performing the requested action relating to the borrowed shared inventory item.

A computer system, comprising:

• one or more processors,
• one or more memories, and
• one or more computer readable hardware storage devices, said one or more hardware storage device containing program code executable by the one or more processors via the one or more memories to implement a method for tracking shared inventory in a virtual universe, said method comprising:
• in response to a shared inventory item being requested, facilitating, by a virtual universe simulator that manages the virtual universe, a copying of the shared inventory item from an inventory source of the shared inventory item to the virtual universe simulator;
• avoiding, by the virtual universe simulator, having to store a copy of the shared inventory item for each instance of a user having rights to the shared inventory item, said avoiding being enabled by and a consequence of said facilitating, said shared inventory item comprising software code being renderable to each instance of the user having rights to the shared inventory item;
• said one or more processors receiving communicated indications that a plurality of different users of the virtual universe have borrowed the shared inventory item in accordance with a sharing scheduling policy under which the different users have borrowed the shared inventory item for use at respective different times, said shared inventory item having an associated item owner, wherein the different users are represented by respective avatars in the virtual universe, and wherein the virtual universe is implemented within a computerized communication network selected from the group consisting of an Internet, an intranet, a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), an Ethernet network, a wireless network, a telephone network, and a broadband cable network;
• said one or more processors determining and storing metadata associated with the borrowed shared inventory item;
• said one or more processors tracking usage of the borrowed shared inventory item by the different users;
• said one or more processors receiving a query requesting performance of an action relating to the borrowed shared inventory item;
• and
• said one or more processors performing the requested action relating to the borrowed shared inventory item.