SE why don't you try and sue the gil sellers?

[Ryios]

I thought it wasn't illegal? I know it's against ToS but I don't think it's against any actual law.

It's not illegal. It's not any more illegal than me borrowing your chain saw to cut wood and selling the wood out from the back of my truck.

What the US needs to do is make it so that game companies can claim their games and the virtual things in them as assets. Then taking assets from the game to sell to others without consent could be considered theft. But that's getting the government to acknowledge virtual (non existent) things as being tangible (having real world value) which I don't think will happen anytime soon.

[JPPILIP]

It's not illegal. It's not any more illegal than me borrowing your chain saw to cut wood and selling the wood out from the back of my truck.

What the US needs to do is make it so that game companies can claim their games and the virtual things in them as assets. Then taking assets from the game to sell to others without consent could be considered theft. But that's getting the government to acknowledge virtual (non existent) things as being tangible (having real world value) which I don't think will happen anytime soon.

The difference is you had permission to use said chain saw these scum are stealing in a since. Is more like turning your apartment into a Starbucks without the permission of your landlord. Essentially they are using SEs property to make a profit without the direct consent of SE. As far as the spammers go you can be sued for harassment over the internet.

[Oriachim]

The difference is you had permission to use said chain saw these scum are stealing in a since. Is more like turning your apartment into a Starbucks without the permission of your landlord. Essentially they are using SEs property to make a profit without the direct consent of SE. As far as the spammers go you can be sued for harassment over the internet.

In UK a kid got sued for stealing gold from another player on Runescape. Think prosecutors argument was that they worked hard for it or something more intelligent.

So what you said should already be possible.

[LiadansWhisper]

Many of these gil sellers are based in the US (or at least there servers are) so shouldn't you send some Cease or Desist letters to them? It should put a halt to some rather quick.

Lawsuits are expensive. They cost money to file. Money to pay the attorneys involved. Money for service.

And that's if you have an easy-peasy way of serving them. If they're intentionally trying to duck you, it gets rapidly more expensive to pin them down so that you can serve the complaint to them.

[Faedden]

It's not illegal. It's not any more illegal than me borrowing your chain saw to cut wood and selling the wood out from the back of my truck.

What the US needs to do is make it so that game companies can claim their games and the virtual things in them as assets. Then taking assets from the game to sell to others without consent could be considered theft. But that's getting the government to acknowledge virtual (non existent) things as being tangible (having real world value) which I don't think will happen anytime soon.

Um, that isn't illegal at all or was that your point? I suck at being able too tell tone through text.
But anyway I agree someone, somehow should make it illegal, 'specially since they are stealing people's accounts. I know, I know they shouldn't have bought any gold in the first place but you have to admit it's still low.

[LiadansWhisper]

Um, that isn't illegal at all or was that your point? I suck at being able too tell tone through text.
But anyway I agree someone, somehow should make it illegal, 'specially since they are stealing people's accounts. I know, I know they shouldn't have bought any gold in the first place but you have to admit it's still low.

I thought it wasn't illegal? I know it's against ToS but I don't think it's against any actual law.

Civil Lawsuits have nothing to do with Criminal Law. Technically, you can sue anyone for any reason - or no reason at all. There is no requirement that a lawsuit actually be viable. You just have to pay the costs to file it, the costs for the attorneys who filed it (assuming you have those), and the fee to serve the lawsuit to whoever you're suing. They don't check to see if it'll "hold up in court." They just take your money and file the lawsuit.

Edit:

Ah, didn't know that. Learn something new everyday.

The next time you see your car insurance rates spike, you can thank that fact for it. ^_^

[Faedden]

Civil Lawsuits have nothing to do with Criminal Law. Technically, you can sue anyone for any reason - or no reason at all. There is no requirement that a lawsuit actually be viable.

Ah, didn't know that. Learn something new everyday.

[Amberion]

It's not illegal. It's not any more illegal than me borrowing your chain saw to cut wood and selling the wood out from the back of my truck.

What the US needs to do is make it so that game companies can claim their games and the virtual things in them as assets. Then taking assets from the game to sell to others without consent could be considered theft. But that's getting the government to acknowledge virtual (non existent) things as being tangible (having real world value) which I don't think will happen anytime soon.

If that happened, it could be bad for mmo companies. The court could take a very small leap to that the players actually own their own characters and items. And if that happened, the companies would lose a lot "rights" they have. I.E banning and things like that.

[Sylve]

Technically, they just need to change the wording so that we're leasing/renting our accounts thereby giving 'ownership' to the company.
Any hacking of our accounts, for any reason, could also constitute as theft of personal information, since we have card details, addresses and such in our account information.

That would make RMT companies liable for criminal/civil lawsuits under theft.

[Azazela]

I blame the people who buy the gold from them, and give them a reason to exist more. Though I suspect most just visit those sites, get keylogged and lose their account.