Theft of virtual goods.

Well, as i have saw the post about the kids beating up a 13 year old for some rs items, i thought, is it really punishable to steal non-existant items? I mean really, the items are virtual. The only thing you would be stealing is time, which you cannot get back.

So, should the theft of virtual items be punishable by law?

Btw, this is the article :http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10538822

Post your thoughts.

 

HELL NO!!! ...but if anything that kid should be like assault / threat / blackmail or w/e

 

It's theft, and to succumb that low is barely human. They got what they deserved. :]

 

Well of course the assault should be counted on.

You cannot steal goods that do not exist.

 

I don't see how one can own a virtual product.

 

Well, I see how some think they stole an item, even though it does not exist. Time is impossible to replace. People work hard (meaning time spent) on getting items such as mils. And they want to sell them for a steady rate at say $3/mil... Someone scams him and the person knows exactly where they live... I do not think they should be beaten but only forced to give what was stolen back.. I think it should be the same with real-life shoplifters... As long as you did not affect the stolen item and can return it... there should be no other penalty, besides maybe a ban from territory.

 

Yes, but only if real money is involved.

 

Stealing something real is totally different than the theft of virtual items.

 

The thief is also sorry that he is caught after putting in many hours of hard work: Hard work does not imply that you have a right to something.

 

No man, thats not right,
its only a freakin game.
It shouldn't be tooken so serious.
WOW, You stole 1million gold,
do you know how fast they can spawn anouther 1bill? lol.

 

I don't think its punishable because it's often within the game rules to steal from other players (for example, Pking is not illegal). Also, you can't prove GP to have any real value, as you never paid for it in the first place. If you're fishing in real life, and some guy takes your fish, it isn't really illegal because the fish has no real value.

 

https://shop.albertsons.com/eCommer...-Fresh+Steaks+&+Fillets&fromPage=browseAZPage

 

Exist : To be present under certain circumstances or in a specified place.

Well, by golly, I'm pretty sure that my Sythe account exists. Does it not? It is not tangible, but it exist.

 

Yeah. I don't think you should be punished for stealing "pixels" especially when they aren't owned by you. (I.E. GP is owned by Jagex Ltd.)

-I think it is messed up though stealing em, just because it isn't punishable, doesn't make it acceptable...

 

Read this case;

http://www.sythe.org/showthread.php?t=488210

 

I think it should be even though its virtual. Stealing is stealing and nothing changes that.
Also:
100th post ftw?

 

Like buddy said ^

Stealing is stealing no matter what the circumstance is.
It's wrong and you should be punished for it.

 

Your bank account is a virtual number... you saying that doesnt exist?

I dont think you should be punished by law since runescape is shit and the "gp" doesnt really have a value, and also if you read the code of conduct it wont say "if you steal noobs gp your may be convicted of a criminal offense". Oh and jagex states that you do not own anything, so if you do not own it, how is it stealing?

 

You can print your bank account details off onto a sheet of paper, making it tangible.

Stealing virtual goods is stupid/impossible. Bashing someone up for virtual goods is assault.

 

virtual items are something we work for aswell, thats why a irl cash price can be put on them such as when we purchase rsgold, so its sort of like having something you value as much as a portion of irl cash, for example if you bought/have-boughten gold for $4 a mill and you have 10mill and you spend it, obviously those mills where worth $4 to you, thats why you bought them for that price, in the future if you got scammed for 10mill wouldnt you like to recieve an equivalent to the value on that virtual item, so you could replace it, also them be charged as stealing the equivalent worth converted into irl terms.