Virtual Rights? Property in Online Game Objects and Characters

Players in online games are claiming the right to trade virtual “goods,” something which is contested by game developers and generally prohibited by the contracts they offer to prospective players. This article argues that although this claim does not fit easily into the framework of copyright law, the continuing expansion of information technology into every aspect of everyday life makes the recognition of such rights inevitable. There are also good theoretical arguments for granting players the ability to trade their virtual possessions for real money