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Examining Virtual Crimes
GamePolitics has an article about a research paper issued by the AU government's Institute of Criminology titled "Crime Risks of Three-Dimensional Virtual Environments." The paper discusses the legal questions raised by game worlds and avatars, ranging from regulation of in-game currency to a report of virtual rape.
"A person controlling an avatar that is unexpectedly raped or assaulted might experience the physical reaction of 'freezing,' or the associated shock, distrust and loss of confidence in using [3D virtual environments]. While civil redress for psychological harm is conceivable, the 'disembodied' character of such an incident would invariably bar liability for any crime against the person. However, Australian federal criminal law imposes a maximum penalty of three years imprisonment for using an internet carriage service to 'menace, harass or cause offence' to another user. Further, US and Australian laws ban simulated or actual depictions of child abuse and pornography. Therefore, any representations of child avatars involved in virtual sexual activity, torture or physical abuse are prohibited, regardless of whether the real-world user is an adult or child."
Tea Bagging in a FPS could get u 3 years?
I find it dumb, immature, and annoying, but like most times someone says "There ought to be a law", there ought not to be.
What game engine supports rape? World of Sex Crimes? Everrape?
I'm in UR jail, doin UR time
"A government is a body of people usually -- notably -- ungoverned." -Shepherd Book
What if the objective of the RPG is to rape, steal and harass?
If you can read this... 01110101 01110010 00100000 01100001 00100000 01100111 01100101 01100101 01101011
So I guess GTA (from original on up) should cause you to have to do time for grand theft of an automobile, drug dealing and cop killing? Absolute balderdash.
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." Proverbs 16:25 (NKJV)
Really? Every time I think we have rock bottom with the sheer scope of fucking mentally challenged concepts in government, they continue to amaze me with how much deeper than can go.
Reminds me of Eddie Murphy in the Golden Child when he flips a coin down into the darkness. "Hey! They're ain't no ground here".
It's fucking virtual with real world consequences.
Well then I want to prosecute those douchebag lawmakers. They virtually "blew my mind" on the Internet. Where's my commercial saying I got a 1 million dollars?
I put on my robe and wizard hat...
WTF, if you're an online player, and haven't at some point been gang-banged by a bunch of Uruks, you haven't been around. Get a grip.
I want to delete my account but Slashdot doesn't allow it.
You've got to be kidding me, right? Some idiot somewhere in the legal system really needs to get a grip on reality.
So maybe reprehensible in .au and .us, but what if the victim is there but the perp is in some other country where the legislator thinks rape is not so bad in First Life and/or doesn't even have Internet ?
Sue the game company, of course.
Can you show me on this doll where he said that he was touching your avatar?
will it cover our past actions in virtual space?
because it will be execution or life for me.....(depending state laws)
also trollers disturb my psychological state..
will this be applied to them as well?!
at the end it is an disturbing action too
i am ashamed to be an Ozzie soon they will legislate thought crime.......
US law does not ban simulated child pornography. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashcroft_v._Free_Speech_Coalition
So I guess all of this behavior is perfectly fine in 2d virtual worlds, or textual virtual worlds.
In other news properties in the game of monopoly are to be rent controlled.
Infractions shall be a matter for civil court and anyone who actually does manage to build a monopoly shall be subject to unfair trading practices legislation.
SMAUG Stalkers are the worst you can get!
Good we can customize appearance ...
--- I am known for the ones who want to find me on the net. Is that a privacy risk or a privilege? One might wonder..
A Rape in Cyberspace: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Rape_in_Cyberspace
Uh, not quite. See Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition, 535 U.S. 234 (2002).
Liberty in your lifetime
Lots of politicians do this stuff. Turn full-force against some virtual, pointless "cause" that won't bring any real opposition, so it's easy, yet scares lots of voters with silly issues, so pleases them that "someone is doing something". It's the same as railing againt immigrants, movie or tv violence, or "crime", "communists", or "terrorists". There will be no real useful work done for anyone, but will get attention and votes, and since the opposition is voiceless, powerless, very distant or inexistent, the campaign is successful -- politically. Socially, it's a disaster, gets all of society hysterical and confused over a non-issue, but that's not what they care about. If they were to do something about health care, pollution, corporate crime, political or police corruption, education, etc, it's likely some real opposition would appear, frequently from deep-pocketed lobbyists, who would finance ads and opposition to them and their efforts. Not to mention stop financing them, making the political campaign a true disaster. No good deed goes unpunished, in this society ruled by self-serving groups. So, those without scruples simply do none.
Build your own energy sources from scratch. http://otherpower.com/
I agree - and it's an insult to people who have experience such horrific crimes.
A virtual crime is a crime that happens in a virtual envirnoment - e.g., fraud. Things like harrassment can also constitute crimes, but the crime is still harrassment, and not "rape". This is nothing new - did people refer to dodgy phone callers as "virtual rapists"?
A depiction of a crime is not a virtual crime. By that logic, films show "virtual murders", and when they media report on crimes, they should also be guilty of committing virtual crimes. It is depressing to see the media and politicians conflate depictions of crimes (which should be legal), with crimes that occur in a virtual environment (which is what "virtual crime" implies).
And when the media report on virtual crimes, I guess they must be guilty of a virtual virtual crime...
If you are dumb, powerless or too involved to deal with real crime, start fighting virtual crime.
Build your own energy sources from scratch. http://otherpower.com/
What about murder or theft ?
What if I'm playing an online game and someone attacks and kills my character ? Is that against the law too ? Does it matter that death is not permanent in this particular virtual world ? What if death is a normal part of this particular virtual world (WoW PVP servers for instance)
What if I have a virtual house in (say) Second Life and someone enters without asking or enters through the window ? Is that virtual break and enter ? What if they steal my stuff ? I have then suffered actual losses, not just psychological trauma.
So why is rape different ?
The laws that apply to a virtual world must be appropriate for that virtual world. If death is a minor setback to a player then the punishment for killing someone needs to be minor. If death is an expected part of the game then there need not be any punishment at all. If death is permanent in the virtual world and not an expected part of the gameplay then there probably should be some sort of significant punishment for a killer. The same reasoning applies to theft and rape and (one would extrapolate) child pornography. It is a mistake to attempt to create a single set of laws that apply to all online virtual worlds.
Of course, any actions in a virtual world that cause real-world crimes to be committed can be simply dealt with by the existing real-world laws.
Sig matters not. Judge me by my sig, do you?
Perhaps those who do commit crimes such as theft, murder, rape in games should do time for their crimes. But as these are virtual crimes, it should be the avatar, not the real person who does the time, and they should do so in a virtual prison. If the game designer doesn't have a justice system built into their game, and it bothers you that crimes go unpunished, then you are free not to play their game and to design your own.
If I can be modded down for being a troll, can I be modded up for being an orc, or a balrog?
So....... if that's a civil matter is it legitimate to offer payment in Monopoly money?
Perhaps a few questions before you can gain entry to determine if you're an adult with a realistic outlook before the game would start is worth considering.
Regards Sinesurfer A Nerd is someone who lives for technology, A Geek is someone who lives for technology and loves it