Should stealing virtual goods be illegal?

[Emperor Nero]

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.

Your runescape account is not yours, it is Jagex's. Read the TOS and see. You don't own anything, that is why they can ban you and wipe you.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_t...ling_amulet_and_shield_in_virtual_world_.html

Interesting article.

 

[Zethorum]

Your runescape account is not yours, it is Jagex's. Read the TOS and see. You don't own anything, that is why they can ban you and wipe you.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_t...ling_amulet_and_shield_in_virtual_world_.html

Interesting article.

Sadly, this is true. We technically don't own our runescape account and items.
But after paying Jagex $6 a month, for 5+ consecutive years, I sure as hell own my account's data on their servers. As far as I'm concerned.

 

[runescapeobject]

Yes.. Stealing something that is not your's should be illegal.

 

[Arr]

Yes without doubt i don't see how stealing GP and a car are any different.
If somebody buys 2b For £1200 and then it gets stolen, it's the same as having your car stolen.

 

[Rev. Frank]

If you're not allowed to sell the virtual items anyway, how could it possibly be illegal?

Runescape is all about not giving an unfair advantage and by selling gold, the person you're selling to is getting an unfair advantage.

If you were renting a car from someone and tried selling it and it got stolen, you're both equally at fault. You're not supposed to be selling it, he's not supposed to be stealing it.

Essentially, you're both at fault. According to Jagex TOS', the account and everything on it is Jagex' property, you're selling it.

See the problem?

 

[nmullin11]

stealing is stealing

bottom line

they should be punished

 

[Zerkerfist]

I think that there may be too many grey areas and complications that would arise if stealing virtual goods became illegal, and it would be quite hard for the police and other authorities to enforce those laws, especially on a site like Sythe where traders are interacting from many different countries all over the world.

I do think that in a perfect world, there should be consequences for stealing somebodies virtual items. In the end, stealing is stealing, and I think many people are tempted to scam/steal from other traders online because they know that the chance of being held accountable for their actions is very slim, and so they can almost always get away with it.

If stealing virtual items WAS in fact illegal, and there was a way to somehow enforce these laws online, then I think the amount of scamming/stealing would decrease drastically. Many of the scammers on sites like this are just dumb, pixel-hungry 12 year old kids who feel that it's OK to scam somebody out of their items and gold just because they will never be caught and suffer the consequences.

 

[SkyHighDreamer]

Stealing virtual goods should be illegal but that said I use torrents quite a lot I think one person doing it doesn't bring about any harm but then if people all start doing it thats when an orginisation starts making losses for example on this site runescape gp selling takes place and this is not allowed yet many do it, I think this is justified though because they are not exactly stealing just earning money playing a game they enjoy your thoughts?

 

[grzegorzdudek]

You're not allowed to sell most virtual items at first place - but also stealing cannot be left unpunished, so its pretty hard subject, I guess soon there will be some solution and as far as I known there are already cases where people got convicted for stealing high worth accounts especially World of Wacraft or something like that.

 

[JamRsPins]

In terms of RuneScape accounts.. no. But a virtual good isn't limited to just RuneScape.

 

[TheRiverRunsDeep]

Don't care not an important issue I have no problem with people recoverying runescape accounts that inactive and taking the cash.

 

[Savinelli]

As far as Runescape stuff, technically no. Because the items "Don't Exist" and "Belong To Jagex, Not You".

But if you're willing to spend money (usually a lot more than your account/gold is even worth) you can eventually track down the scammer and bring him to a court or formal dispute.

The following posts regarding the theft of virtual currencies is incorrect. As far as I am aware, both the US and the majority of countries market it as the following:
Mail/Wire Fraud - "In the United States, mail and wire fraud is any fraudulent scheme to intentionally deprive another of property or honest services via mail or wire communication. It has been a federal crime in the United States since 1872."
I haven't had the time to delve into the legal definition as far as across the pond legal documents, but I assure you, it's roughly the same thing.
Even if the legal system doesn't recognize all virtual currencies, they recognize lots of them (Eve, RS, WoW, SL, and Bitcoins are recognized as having legal value currencies) and stealing information or "services" is considered wire fraud.

Litigation in United States Law:
Whoever, having devised or intending to devise any scheme or artifice to defraud, or for obtaining money or property by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises, transmits or causes to be transmitted by means of wire, radio, or television communication in interstate or foreign commerce, any writings, signs, signals, pictures, or sounds for the purpose of executing such scheme or artifice, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both. If the violation affects a financial institution, such person shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.

So, I find the OP's question irrelevant. Those who were scammed simply need to read into their nation's legal system in terms of fraud and see if their case will hold in court. Theft of virtual goods (considered property, not currency) is already illegal.

The funny thing with fraud is that there are several levels:
Fraud - committing the act
Conspiracy to commit fraud - planning to do the above with another conspirator
Attempted fraud - attempting to do the above and failing

 

[thatguy1234]

Ofcourse it should, you abviously put stealing in the title. Stealing is stealing no matter which way you put it.

 

[That Kid]

Too difficult to monitor imo.

+ what's the point? Over all the years i've been hacked/phised/scammed/rat'd since playing when I was in like primary school and having no clue about security safety i've lost thousands of dollars worth of gold.

People can only really be punished for stealing virtual goods if it is directly breaking a law, which it isn't. Using Runescape as an example, in that situation they are 'the law' and their punishment is Bans & Rollbacks.

 

[Psychonaut Soul]

Well with all the freedoms, what if you run into someone like this.
"One view says that there are no absolutes that define reality. Those who hold this view believe everything is relative to something else, and thus there can be no actual reality. Because of that, there are ultimately no moral absolutes, no authority for deciding if an action is positive or negative, right or wrong. This view leads to “situational ethics,” the belief that what is right or wrong is relative to the situation. There is no right or wrong; therefore, whatever feels or seems right at the time and in that situation is right."

 

[Emperor Nero]

The following posts regarding the theft of virtual currencies is incorrect. As far as I am aware, both the US and the majority of countries market it as the following:
Mail/Wire Fraud - "In the United States, mail and wire fraud is any fraudulent scheme to intentionally deprive another of property or honest services via mail or wire communication. It has been a federal crime in the United States since 1872."
I haven't had the time to delve into the legal definition as far as across the pond legal documents, but I assure you, it's roughly the same thing.
Even if the legal system doesn't recognize all virtual currencies, they recognize lots of them (Eve, RS, WoW, SL, and Bitcoins are recognized as having legal value currencies) and stealing information or "services" is considered wire fraud.

Litigation in United States Law:
Whoever, having devised or intending to devise any scheme or artifice to defraud, or for obtaining money or property by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises, transmits or causes to be transmitted by means of wire, radio, or television communication in interstate or foreign commerce, any writings, signs, signals, pictures, or sounds for the purpose of executing such scheme or artifice, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both. If the violation affects a financial institution, such person shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.

So, I find the OP's question irrelevant. Those who were scammed simply need to read into their nation's legal system in terms of fraud and see if their case will hold in court. Theft of virtual goods (considered property, not currency) is already illegal.

The funny thing with fraud is that there are several levels:
Fraud - committing the act
Conspiracy to commit fraud - planning to do the above with another conspirator
Attempted fraud - attempting to do the above and failing

Virtual currencies that aren't backed by hard currency are not recognized as legal tender.

http://www.law.duke.edu/journals/dltr/articles/2010dltr011.html
http://www.law.emory.edu/fileadmin/journals/elj/57/57.5/Arias.pdf
http://gamepolitics.com/2011/10/25/...ur-virtual-property-your-favorite-online-game

All of the articles say just about the same thing. The conclude that virtual items are a grey area in law, and currently the only court system to prosecute for virtual theft is the Dutch. If you try to bring this into the US court system you would be laughed out of the courtroom in most cases.

 

[wizardzgame]

It already is illegal, isn't it?

It is in very few nations, however there is not much of a standard for it.

And it should be against the law, but at the same time it will be very difficult to enforce because of international barriers, and the incorporation of subjective value (I highly doubt a party hat will be seen as a theft of a $100 item or something)

 

[Sillymonkey]

No, it doesn't exist.

You could argue that you can sell in-game accounts/items for real life money, but it is an imaginary value set by us.

When paper and coined money ceases to be used (we are getting closer to that every day in developed countries), there might be more of an emphasis on 'cyber crime' because all money will basically be in cyberspace.

 

[jokesonyou]

It still is considered 'stealing' even if it is virtual

 

[Sypherz]

People are arguing that virtual items have a false vale to them. This is the same with.. let's say.. cars, isn't it? Why is it illegal to steal a car?