Tech | February 01, 2012 | 8 comments

Dutch Court Rules Stealing In Virtual World Is Theft In Real Life

source: http://thechronicleherald.ca/world/57498-stealing-virtual-world-theft-real-life-top-dutch-co...

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maasanova
The amulet and mask were a 13-year-old boy’s virtual possessions in an online fantasy game. In the real world, he was beaten and threaten with a knife to give them up.

The Dutch Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the theft conviction of a youth who stole another boy’s possessions in the popular online fantasy game RuneScape. Judges ordered the offender to perform 144 hours of community service.

Only a handful of such cases have been heard in the world, and they have reached varying conclusions about the legal status of “virtual goods” — and whether stealing them is real-world theft.

The suspect’s lawyer had argued the amulet and mask “were neither tangible nor material and, unlike for example electricity, had no economic value.”

But the Netherlands’ highest court said the virtual objects had an intrinsic value to the 13-year-old gamer because of “the time and energy he invested” in winning them while playing the game.
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8 comments // Dutch Court Rules Stealing In Virtual World Is Theft In Real Life

  • fiberbundle
    • +1
      fiberbundle  

    • I wonder if this is a hole in the dike that will bring a flood of litigation. Can you file an insurance claim for theft? How about if your virtual boat sinks, or your virtual house burns down? Do I need a license to write virtual insurance in Cyberspace. Can I have reserves of virtual money, like AIG? Will I get a bailout if my CyberInsurance Company fails. Maybe I should look into Cyber Reinsurance. Is this investable? What about Credit Default swaps in Cyberspace?

      But seriously, wasn't the real reason this case was prosecuted because " In the real world, he was beaten and threaten with a knife to give them up?"

    • 4 months ago
  • The_Wanderer_Kansas
    • 0
      The_Wanderer_Kansas  
    • fiberbundle:

      OK, here is an example of disconnect. If one's "vitrual boat sinks, or virtual house burns down" these are certainly aspects of the game itself, and this isn't the game or the ways it's played at question here. This is a question of human behavior and it's harm to other humans. I really do like your humor however, I chuckled pretty good because I understand your point of view. But here the kid did not cost himself the loss, he didn't even get fooled into "trading" his ingame items for something of far less value which to me is the players own fault for ignorance is no excuse. This is one human taking the fruit of another humans labors through threats of violence... ROFL sorry but if I was as rhetorically charged as others I would say its new age "cyber-slavery"... but thats laughably way too far.

    • 4 months ago
  • fiberbundle
  • The_Wanderer_Kansas
  • maasanova
  • The_Wanderer_Kansas
    • +2
      The_Wanderer_Kansas  
    • maasanova:

      No, I am not. Yes, these game items are just electrons getting pushed around with magnets, but in some game environments it can take MONTHS of dedication and gameplay to achieve some of these ingame rewards, and that much effort in itself should carry a value. The MAJOR issue with this particular case is that the defendant beat and threatened to KILL the victim IN THE REAL WORLD, which is a crime in itself, and the crime placed a value on the items in question. Thats two sources, both parties placing value on these items, and that in itself should make this a valid ruling.

    • 4 months ago
  • maasanova
  • The_Wanderer_Kansas
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