Theft of virtual goods.

[TJ]

Old thread is revived. Srs thread is srs. Etc, etc.

I have nothing to post right now, seeing how this has not been active in over two months. But thought i would revive it, to get more of a detailed outcome.

 

[natinsatan]

if money is exchanged then it gets serious, but if its just "theft of virtual goods " you gotta remember its just a game and not reality

 

[TheMasterMind]

These nerds deserved what they got, who lowers them self that much to mug a kid for RUNESCAPE items. im glad they got what they did, and yes virtual goods can be owned, they were actually stealing from jagex so jagex could have sued or w.e

 

[TJ]

These nerds deserved what they got, who lowers them self that much to mug a kid for RUNESCAPE items. im glad they got what they did, and yes virtual goods can be owned, they were actually stealing from jagex so jagex could have sued or w.e

You can't sue for breaking tos.

 

Stealing is stealing, virtual or not. The courts made the right decision.

 

[Shredderbeam]

Stealing is stealing, virtual or not. The courts made the right decision.

How does one steal an idea?

Answer: They don't. They see the idea, and utilize it to their own benefit. You realize what somebody else is up to, then you do what they're doing. There is a massive difference between that and physically stealing another's property so they cannot use it.

 

[TJ]

The courts can legally only do something because they beat the kid up..
Read what shredder posted above me, also.

 

[Ballin Boi]

No I do not beleive it should be punishable by actual law. Virtual law of the company of they are in loss, yes.

 

[Grave]

You cannot steal goods that do not exist.

Piracy would be a good example. It's not really virtual either, it is a file. Let's say a dragon chain. It is a file on a database, so it exists, on a computer.

How does one steal an idea?.

So you don't believe in patents? Try "stealing" one and you'll get your ass sued-- in America that is.

Stealing is stealing, no matter how you put it.
It doesn't have to be an object. It can be ideas, and even virtual goods.

steal

steal [steel]
v (past stole [stōl], past participle sto·len [stṓlən], present participle steal·ing, 3rd person present singular steals)
1. vti take something unlawfully: to take something that belongs to somebody else, illegally or without the owner's permission
2. vt take something furtively: to take or get something secretly, surreptitiously, or through trickery
steal a glance

3. vt dishonestly present somebody's work as yours: to take something that somebody else has created, especially ideas, theories, or a piece of writing, and present it as your own
4. vi sneak: to move quietly, especially in the hope of not been seen or caught
5. vi pass unnoticed: to pass or move without being noticed (literary)
Dawn was stealing over the mountaintops.

6. vt succeed at something unexpectedly: to win or succeed at something unexpectedly, luckily, or dishonestly at the expense of another or others (informal)
7. vti baseball gain base without hit: in baseball, to gain a base by running without the ball being hit by the batter and in the absence of an error by the fielding team


n (plural steals)
1. bargain: something that does not cost very much or that costs a lot less than would be expected (informal)
2. baseball stolen base: in baseball, a stolen base
3. act of stealing: an act of stealing something


[ Old English stelan < Germanic]


-steal·er, , n

steal or steel? Do not confuse the spelling of steal and steel, which sound similar. Steal is chiefly used as a verb, meaning "take illegally or without permission" or "move quietly," as in steal a car, steal past the door. Steel can be used as a noun, denoting a hard strong metal, an alloy of iron (as in stainless steel), or as a verb, meaning particularly "make unfeeling or tough enough": He steeled himself for the blow.
Word Key: Synonyms
steal, pinch, filch, purloin, pilfer, embezzle, misappropriate,
CORE MEANING: to take property unlawfully
steal to take something that belongs to somebody else, illegally or without the owner's permission;
Last year, 22,000 cars were stolen in that region.
a robbery in which more than $20 million was stolen from a Geneva bankpinch (informal) to steal something or take something without permission;
Who's pinched my pen?
I had my purse pinched on the subway.filch (informal) to steal something opportunistically, usually a small item or something of little value;
He filched the wood he needed from his neighbor's yard.purloin (formal or humorous) to steal something, especially when the theft breaks another's trust;
They pledge to prosecute sales of knock-off drugs, purloined software, pirated videos, and the like.
The former inspector told how he had once caught a member of his team purloining a top-secret document.pilfer to steal small items of little value, especially habitually;
accused the children of pilfering fruit from her orchard
It is estimated that 25 percent of food sent as aid to the camps is being pilfered and sold on the black market.embezzle to take for personal use money or property that has been given on trust by others, without their knowledge;
She denies embezzling thousands of dollars while she was company treasurer.
The former attorney general embezzled public funds and should be extradited to face the charge, U.S. prosecutors argued yesterday.misappropriate to take something, especially money, dishonestly or in order to use it for an improper or illegal purpose;
The chief executive insisted that no money had been misappropriated and used for personal expenses.
The defendant was found guilty of misappropriating public funds.

 

[The Crunchy]

Well.. It's all extents. If some 13 year old were to steal say, a few runescape items (Don't think I'm only saying this because it's never happened to me, I've been scammed well over 9 digits in runescape money) there shouldn't be any punishment, as it is the persons fault for losing it. Also, technically, you do not own any of your runescape items, Jagex owns your account.

But when we get down to trading money for items, it's different. There should be some legal action taking against people keeping items that were paid for.

 

[Ballin Boi]

Grave:

Runescape Items> Company.

Different things, to be sued for trading Runescape Items? No. Otherwise 500,000 of the scamming children playing Runescape would have a juvenile record.

 

[TJ]

Piracy would be a good example. It's not really virtual either, it is a file. Let's say a dragon chain. It is a file on a database, so it exists, on a computer.

I can't steal something that isn't tangible.

 

[Ballin Boi]

I can't steal something that isn't tangible.

Agreed. Yet Grave, I remember you posted a thread a long time back directed to someone who scammed you going. "You be sued in court, bitch."

Personally, if you were to look at the real value of the things being stolen it is not worth much as it is only a pixel on the screen and the courts don't value your 'playing time'.

 

[xx mdv xx]

I think it should be punishable because it is taking something that belongs to someone else. The items that kid had in Runescape, he owned them, he owned the account, and therefore it is stealing and should be punishable the way I view it.

 

[r0ut3r]

Hence "Dutch Courts"

American's wouldn't do something like this because its dumb as hell.

 

[ElivOk]

Alright, ya........i think it should not be punishable by law, since it is not real....

 

[Shredderbeam]

Alright, ya........i think it should not be punishable by law, since it is not real....

Of course it's real, along with everything else in reality. If it weren't real, it wouldn't be there.

 

[hashslinger]

Of course it's real, along with everything else in reality. If it weren't real, it wouldn't be there.

I think he meens that it is not physical.

 

[Shredderbeam]

I think he meens that it is not physical.

Neither is credit from a bank. >_>

 

[The Riddler_]

GP in a sense can be look at as if it was a symbol or an object to show the effort/work it represents. It should be punishable, even if it the punishment is minor, the least, the culprits should be "Cyber-punishable" to show that stealing ANYTHING is not tolerated regardless what it is.

I guess you can look at it as internet hacking is a crime and DOS attacking is too.