Chinese instant communications service provider Tencent has filed a lawsuit against auction website Taobao.com, accusing Taobao of infringing its copyrights by allowing sellers to sell QQ numbers and Q coins on the Taobao website at unreasonable market prices.

QQ numbers and Q coins are part of the virtual currency system that Tencent provides to its users.

Tencent asks Taobao.com to stop the users' illegal behaviors and it wants Taobao to stipulate the detailed measures it is going to take against this kind of behavior within ten days.

The case is being processed at the Xihu Court, and the final judgment on the case should serve as a legal basis for solving disputes incurred from QQ numbers and help hold back the development of number stealing software and illegal number trading activity in China.