CNet has a thought provoking (yeah, no nudie pics in this one) article up regarding the sudden increase in popularity of online worlds, and how, with more and more people spending large amounts of their lives in them, various people have begun to wonder just who governs these realms. Sure, the developers have the omniscient Hand Of God angle covered, but what happens when people break real-world laws in game or the government decides it wants to be able to tax virtual items that suddenly have actual cash money value?
This may sound kind of silly, and yes, no one is going to start e-murdering your family any time soon, but any time a commodity garners some kind of demand, it acquires a monetary value. The IRS is specifically designed to make sure that citizens who earn profit while existing on US soil (and gaining US protection and benefits) have to pay taxes on all their earnings, and it’s only a matter of time before they take this matter to the courts. Of course, at the same time, your Perdition’s Blade isn’t real, nor is it actually owned by you under the EULA of most any game, so who is responsible here and what is going to happen? This could very well be one of the most complicated legal issues of our time, rivalling both Net Neutrality and the OJ Simpson case.
The day the government comes to my door demanding a tithing for the epic mount I just purchased is the day I e-dump their e-tea in the e-Boston Harbor. Guy Fawkes fo’ life!
(Editor’s Note: While Nex cares deeply about this issue, he doesn’t know a damn thing about history.)
Published: Dec 3, 2006 05:31 am