We’ve covered this issue from other perspectives in the past. This shows how the paradigms of value are constantly changing as we move towards a completely information- and service-based economy.
Second Life Land Deal Goes Sour
In what might be a first-of-its-kind lawsuit, a Pennsylvania lawyer is suing the publisher of the rapidly growing online world Second Life, alleging the company unfairly confiscated tens of thousands of dollars worth of his virtual land and other property.
The attorney, Marc Bragg of West Chester, Pennsylvania, says game developer Linden Lab unilaterally shut down his Second Life account, cutting off his access to a substantial portfolio of real estate and currency in the virtual world. He’s demanding $8,000 in restitution.
Frivolous lawsuit or a real attempt to recover value?
Frivilous.
lol
Real attempt to recover value, if that is how much real money he spent amassing this virtual treasure of his…
Virtual land is worth virtually nothing.
Can we assume said lawyer read the entire EULA, before filing the suit?
Maybe even saw the possibility for a suit before amasing his substantial portfolio of real estate and currency in the virtual world.?
As anyone familiar with the economy of Second Life knows, virual land is worth a *lot* more than “virutally nothing”
One of the suckers wised up.
The company getting sued has worked very hard over the past two years to make people think virtual items in this game are worth real money. Because of this, as stupid as the lawsuit is, they’re going to wind up paying up… possibly in real money.
As an aisde, if you really think the in-game economy of Second Life is worth something, you should strongly consider suicide. You’re even welcome to have your family sue me afterwards.
He cheated. Now he’s upset because he got caught cheating.
From the article
…”Bragg said he wouldn’t have invested if he’d known he could lose everything.”
Doesn’t that happen in real life? I think it’s called SOL or you F’d up big time or “That’s Investing”.
As anyone familiar with the economy of Second Life knows, virual land is worth a *lot* more than “virutally nothing”
Not to me it isn’t.
If money, time, and / or effort went into amassing his property, then to unilaterally shut it down might be arbitrary and maybe capricious. If he could have redeemed or sold his property then he is due a return. I’m sure, being a lawyer, he is versed enough in property law to think he has a case.
This could go acouple of ways…
I suspect the value of virtual real estate is the same as meat space real estate, whatever the market will bear.
Having said that… An $8,000 lawsuit? After he hacked the game? It seems Linden Labs is being generous in only suspending his account. Can you imagine what would happen to the guy who found and used this hack in the stock market?
This reminds me of the city manager in my town, who keeps managing to know what plots of land to buy 6 months before anyone else.
Virtual “property” is only worth what the participants in the contrived economy accept it as being worth. What are the actual REAL damages here? If the server were to crash and “property” were to be lost as a result, would the company also be financially liable in real life?
I would think that maybe you could talk some idiot jury into awarding a refund of the guy’s subscription fees if he feels he was wronged, but $8000? He, along with all the other losers who have bought MMORPG stuff on ebay with real money, needs to spend a little less time in his fantasy world; and the sex is much better.
I think they should go to a virtual court room. he he he
The fun part, and a GREAT way to screw him, is to GIVE him BACK, WHAT he paid, NOT the Land value…
Im not involved in this world…So I dont know some of the things, but is the Price perpetual or a yearly charge??
Holy crap, you appear to be correct Paul. After reading through the Second Life website, I am even more convinced now that people who spend significant amounts of REAL money on stuff you only get to interact with on a computer screen need serious help.
21 – you mean you haven’t “spent significant amounts of REAL money on stuff you only get to interact with on a computer”?
What are you saying – your computer doesn’t have an OS? Office applications? Games? Let me guess, you only run open source apps right?
What idiot spends $8000 on virtual land? It’s not going up in value because there is no scarcity. Linden can add capacity and add land and any time, does the price increase if scarcity does not?