Law in Virtual Worlds

Abstract

This article considers the application of real-world law to virtual worlds, new shared spaces that are being created on the Internet. These computer-mediated environments are often fantastic places where magic works, people can fly, and physical appearance can be manipulated at will. However, they are not a fairyland of happy ever after, and they throw up legal issues that are simultaneously novel and familiar, involving questions of intellectual property, crime, and freedom of speech. This article considers the principal issues that have arisen to date, the few instances of litigation and legislation that involve virtual worlds, and how this area of law might develop in the future.