Should stealing virtual goods be illegal?

Currently the most you could get prosecuted with is data tampering, but other than that virtual property doesn't exist.

 

This exactly. Even if you used money to obtain them half the time if you read the terms of service, they state you don't OWN any of the items. And most of the time "Stealing" doesn't actually remove the item from the server, just the account.

 

It will never be illegal, just frowned upon.

 

Stealing anything is illegal

 

Not if you aren't stealing anything... Virtual items, in the the eyes of the law, do not exist.

 

It really cant be "regulated" by anyone and if hackers take "virtual money" already i dont see much dffrence but there's no control over them.

 

Paypal is "virtual currency" though. And the theft of Paypal currency is certainly illegal.
RSGP, on the other hand, I do not believe is illegal to steal. It's probably somewhere in the TOS that you can't do anything about being scammed anyway.

 

Paypal is backed by hard currency though. Most virtual items don't represent real money.

 

I'm curious as to whether or not you can make a case that there is worth towards the work put in gaining those items. I remember dealing with gold sites that basically you weren't paying for the gold, but the time and effort it took into obtaining it (so essentially you weren't paying for the gold, you technically received it for free).

So if there was some way to prove and give evidence of the time and work put into the virtual item, would that allow for action to be taken against theft? Although obviously this wouldn't really be giving "value" to the item, but it allows for some form of monetary backup.

 

You can't measure things like virtual items in the amount of time it took to get. How would you measure the worth of your time? There is no standard for the worth of your time.

 

I'm talking about items that have a common set standard, this can be proven as well. You wouldn't be essentially charging per hour, this would be impossible because everyone would have a different setting.

However, in the case of Runescape gold, there is usually a price per mill, so you can charge that amount based off the work to obtain that mill.
So if the law can take other work with varying prices and give a best judgment amount such as construction, then how would virtual items differ IF that evidence of work is available?

 

There is no price per mill because the market isn't a real market. Hence the name Black Market. You couldn't value anything Runescape related if it was stolen because the items aren't real, as I said above the most you would get was data tampering. Runescape items don't exist in the eyes of the law because they are all proprietary items of Jagex in a virtual enviroment.

That would be like suing if someone stole your cocaine for current cocaine market price. You can't do it because cocaine has no real market. Markets are regulated and aren't generally self-governing.

 

Yes, it should be. It's the same as stealing DVDs at your local Blockbuster.

 

Not really...its not like you need it

 

The word karma has been oversimplified in our culture. The word infers action and nothing more. This is neither good nor bad..

 

Unless the MMO condones virtual trading, people who report virtual fraud should have their account(s) banned. Those who do trade virtual items, and currency in exchange for tangible items, and currencies are ultimately breaking the code of conduct in the first place. Thus, making me say no it shouldn't.

 

I think it should be illegal and punishable by law. Like said above many times stealing is stealing on the web or in person.

 

First of Nero most of your opinions are garbage lol. Secondly stealing is defined as taking something that doesn't belong to you with no intention of returning. The second definition refers to the taking of an idea that doesn't belong to you. If you can steal a fucking idea and be punished then how is it a stretch to punish for virtual theft. Good day sir!

 

theft   [theft]
noun
1.
the act of stealing; the wrongful taking and carrying away of the personal goods or property of another; larceny.
2.
an instance of this.
3.
Archaic . something stolen.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/theft

Definition of THEFT

1
a : the act of stealing; specifically : the felonious taking and removing of personal property with intent to deprive the rightful owner of it
b : an unlawful taking (as by embezzlement or burglary) of property
2
obsolete : something stolen
3
: a stolen base in baseball
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/theft

In common usage, theft is the taking of another person's property without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it.[1][2] The word is also used as an informal shorthand term for some crimes against property, such as burglary, embezzlement, larceny, looting, robbery, shoplifting and fraud.[1][2] In some jurisdictions, theft is considered to be synonymous with larceny;[2] in others, theft has replaced larceny. Someone who carries out an act of or makes a career of theft is known as a thief. The act of theft is known by terms such as stealing, thieving, and filching.[2]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theft



Definition of STEAL

intransitive verb
1
: to take the property of another wrongfully and especially as a habitual or regular practice
2
: to come or go secretly, unobtrusively, gradually, or unexpectedly
3
: to steal or attempt to steal a base
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steal

steal·ing   [stee-ling] Show IPA
noun
1.
the act of a person who steals.
2.
Usually, stealings. something that is stolen.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/stealing


You can't steal something that is non-existent, virtual goods are not tangible property but instead are lines of data on a server bank somewhere around the world. Virtual goods are not ideas or thoughts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_good

 

My runescape account is mine. If someone took over control of it that would be stealing. Plain and simple. You can keep trying to make things complicated but they are not. Most of those definitions fit with virtual theft.