Published June 4th, 2007 by Future Atlas
Real law, virtual worlds
A Washington Post piece notes some issues arising at the increasingly blurry boundary between virtual worlds and the real one:
- Police are looking into whether virtual crimes — such as simulated rape — may also be real.
- Some activities, such as simulated sex involving only real adults, may be legal in some countries by illegal in others, but virtual worlds transcend such boundaries.
- Real governments are making appearances in virtual spaces: both Sweden and Maldives have opened embassies in Second Life.
But virtual worlds may also diverge and separate from the real world:
Philip Rosedale, the founder and chief executive of Linden Labs, said in an interview that Second Life activities should be governed by real-life laws for the time being. … Rosedale said he hopes participants in Second Life eventually develop their own virtual legal code and justice system. “In the ideal case, the people who are in Second Life should think of themselves as citizens of this new place and not citizens of their countries,” he said.