The Legal Implications of Diablo 3′s Real Money Trading
Jas Purewal from Gamer/Law has dissected the new real money trading (RMT) features in Diablo 3 from a legal standpoint. As we discussed last week, the impacts of allowing RMT is unclear. Gamer/Law discusses how the new policy might impact gold farming, game balance, and P2P disputes. One of his conclusions, which we agree with is:
My theory… is that virtual goods are capable of being legal property just like a car or a share in a company. Virtual goods have both the necessary legal requirements to be property and, just as important, consumers think they’re acquiring something valuable. And ultimately it’s what consumers think they’re getting that matters – the law forms around the expectations of ordinary people, sooner or later.
Check out the fascinating article over at Gamer/Law.