Arrested for Virtual Robbery?

[Ninjahedge]

Arrested for virtual robbery!!!!

http://www.informationweek.com/story...leID=169500364


Quote:

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A Chinese exchange student was arrested in Japan last week for using bots to run virtual stick-ups in the Lineage II: The Chaotic Chronicle online game, stealing items from players then reselling them on eBay.

Police in Kagawa prefecture, on the island of Shikoku, arrested the student, the Mainichi Daily News reported. He used game bots -- automated characters that have been tweaked -- to beat up and rob other players' characters, said police.
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OK, now what is this? Should people be held accountable CRIMINALLY, for crimes on the internet that only have a direct bearing on that virtual world?

Even if those items have material value in this one?

I know my answer....

-I had to redo this topic for the poll......

[Edward]

It seem the virtual loot was sold on real world eBay, so the money from this earth are involved.

[Ninjahedge]

The question is though, regardless of whether or not people are willing to pay for these objects, is it fair to assign real world value and punishment to items that can be created or destroyed at the whim of a 3rd party?

This would be like if Gold was being controled by one person. He could make 2 million tons appear out of nowhere right at your doorstep, or make it all dissapear from everyones pockets.

It would also be as if the one person would have absolute power over the economy, making bread cost $5000 and gas cost 0.02¢ a gallon at a whim.

ALSO, these items, although people do desire them using real world dollars, have NO value in any but the virtual world they are in. I find it VERY difficult to assign any form of solid, legal jurisdiction on these items other than the satndard terms of agreement that would be written between two consenting parties.


The thing that gets me about all of this is that these are not like collectors items or anything. They have no worth outside that world and are useless when that world ceases to exist.

The player is in 100% control of whether or not that item has ANY value whatsoever in their own life.

So instead of having the "Sword of Muffinslaying" that enables him to be Lord of the Bakery in the virtual world they simply shut the machine off. If that life is not desired, you stop playing the game.

Actually, I find it more depressing that people WILL pay for this kind of thing. I guess they don't want to work for it and are trying to buy their way to superiority in a world that they feel they have more power in.

Again, it is not who you are, but how much you make and what you have.

[Ninjahedge]

>nudge<

Just trying to get a more balanced communities perspective on this.

I have been arguing this for about 100 replies on another board, but being a gamers site, most of the responses have been on one side (and people comparing it to things that are not exactly fitting).

Any other thoughts?

[TLOZ Link5]

I've heard of "gold farmers" in World of Warcraft — day-long players who kill off large mobs of respawning NPC monsters to get a lot of in-game money, which they sell on eBay for real money, whereupon the in-game money is transferred to the highest bidder's character.