Rights To Virtual Property In Games?

With the rise of MMOs and other persistent environments over the last decade, the trafficking of virtual game property has become a multi-billion dollar industry. Regardless of whether the buying and trading goes on with the blessing of the content provider (or, in many cases, the owner of the account in question), the question of players' rights to virtual goods is coming to the forefront. The Escapist Magazine takes a look at how some companies are structuring their EULA in this regard, and what some countries, such as China, are doing to handle the issue. "... the differences between China and the West in this case have more to do with scale than cultural norms. So many people play online games in Asia — and play them so intensely — that social problems in meatspace society inevitably emerge in virtual worlds as well. ... The general consensus, therefore, is that paradigm shifts like the ones that have already occurred in Asia will inevitably come to the West, and with them, the need for legislative scaffolding that keeps us all from killing each other."

Ummm. this is /.

[gandhi_2]

We don't believe in imaginary property.

Careful there...you're about to make a non-car analogy about intrinsic value of said property and it's redeemable worth in corporeal markets. Aren't you?

Even if your imaginary property is your livelihood, we don't believe in it.

Re:It is your property!

[Anonymous Coward]

It would sure cut down on 10 year old punk kids raiding that wimpy fort with the unarmed priest(who happens to be a karate master in real life)!

Watching Kung-Fu films does not make you a Karate Master in real-life. But your priest is wimpy. Bitter and wimpy.