SRL Archive - RuneScape News and General

http://www.zdnet.be/news.cfm?id=93401&mxp=220

For the people who only speak english

A Dutch court has convicted two youths of theft for stealing virtual items in a computer game and sentenced them to community service.

Only a handful of such cases have been heard in the world, and they have reached varying conclusions about the legal status of "virtual goods."

The Leeuwarden District Court said the culprits, 15 and 14 years old, coerced a 13-year-old boy into transferring a "virtual amulet and a virtual mask" from the online adventure game RuneScape to their game accounts.

"These virtual goods are goods (under Dutch law), so this is theft," the court said Tuesday in a summary of its ruling.

Identities of the minors were not released.

The 15-year-old was sentenced to 200 hours service, and the 14-year-old to 160 hours.

Lol RuneScape is serious business

And right he is! The judge made the right decision.
Link to the actual judgement: http://zoeken.rechtspraak.nl/resultpage.aspx?snelzoeken=true&searchtype=ljn&ljn=BG0939&u_ljn=BG0939
The victim played four hours a day, and the theft is a "virtual mask" and a "virtual amulet". H'ween mask maybe and a fury? idk.

The judge also stated that an item in an MMORPG is also a good like electricity and such, in terms of stealing. This also means that gold-selling might be legal in the Netherlands?

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!! how could they transfer that?

:( I can't say that I agree with this ruling. Yeah, it sucks to be scammed out of items that you earned, but come on, its definitely not stealing (as the user did trade for it some how.)

Its like saying someone stole your bike when in all reality you just gave it away for far less then it was worth. Yes, your a moron and your just got taken advantage of, but no you where not robbed, just gullible.

From: Hermpie
LMAO!!!!!!!!!!! how could they transfer that?

6 september 2007 it happened :p

From: boberman
:( I can't say that I agree with this ruling. Yeah, it sucks to be scammed out of items that you earned, but come on, its definitely not stealing (as the user did trade for it some how.)

Its like saying someone stole your bike when in all reality you just gave it away for far less then it was worth. Yes, your a moron and your just got taken advantage of, but no you where not robbed, just gullible.

Far from!
The guys used lethal force. They strangled him and forced him to log on his RS account. They threatened to kill him with a knife, as in "I will kill you if you dont give me the gp!".
That sounds like robbing to me

From: Markus
6 september 2007 it happened :p


Far from!
The guys used lethal force. They strangled him and forced him to log on his RS account. They threatened to kill him with a knife, as in "I will kill you if you dont give me the gp!".
That sounds like robbing to me

BIGGEST FAIL EVER EXISTED

From: Hermpie
BIGGEST FAIL EVER EXISTED

I can think of worse things. Anyway, stop spamming.

haha!

I heard this on the radio just yesterday, i barely ever listen to radio, what are the odds of that I wonder?

Oh man, I hate kids.

Leave em' alone and they start doing stuff like this.

So.. they get in trouble for "stealing" someone's RS items, but not for threatening his life?

From: bullzeye95
So.. they get in trouble for "stealing" someone's RS items, but not for threatening his life?

Hahaha that is great!!! But really did they seriously not get in trouble for threatening his life? And thanks bullzeye for my laugh of the day, that is funny!

From: bullzeye95
So.. they get in trouble for "stealing" someone's RS items, but not for threatening his life?

They got sued for "Stealing with violence".

This was taken a bit too far, 200 hrs of community service.. thats 20 days of work if you work for 10 hrs a day, way too far.

I don't think it's too far at all. They threatened to kill the guy, and beat him up just to get some RS items.

From: R1ch4
I don't think it's too far at all. They threatened to kill the guy, and beat him up just to get some RS items.

They didn't do that ?
EDIT:

[14:33:55] <Markus92> Hy71194
[14:34:02] <Markus92> they did.

Well!.. ignore my post below then :> They deserved it I guess then. Actually, if there was IRL violence involved, they need to go to Jail.
And in my opinion it is too far of a punishment..if the kid decided to no-life for 4 hours a day, it is his own bloody fault his life sucks.
And if it was a H'ween mask and fury, he was just stupid. Things like this happen, and it is best to live over them.
Sure, you might get a bit mad, angry, and many other emotions, but it is best to take it as a simple loss, and get over it.