Hypothetical Question regarding the attack

Greets,

Like many, I'm sitting here reading through these forums trying to figure out what happened, and why, etc. etc.

After reading about the "Griefsphere" and the person responsible for the attack....it makes me wonder a few things.

I'm new to SL, and have only been playing a few weeks now....and so perhaps my understanding of the way things are done here is a bit off...so I'll put this to the more veteran players.

If....according to the SL website WE (the players) retain Intellectual Property Rights for those things that we create in the game...

and IF....The game's economy allows us to purchase and sell those things that we've created (and retain IP rights)...and those things have an equivalent real-world currency value...

and IF....some of our fellow players who own land...sometimes large parcels or entire sims....through 'tiering up' are essentially 'renting' the equipment (server space) from Linden Labs....

How do the above things affect the possible legal responsibility and ramifications of the attack that happened today?

I read about many folks saying that Linden Labs should take Legal Action....I can't help but wonder if such an attack could constitute damage to property and interests for the average everyday SL resident.

The SL website claims that many residents of SL make a real-world living by the things they create in the game.....as such....could this be considered a 'class action'?

I'm certainly no lawyer....but I'm just curious what some of those more knowledgeable than me.....who know more about both Second Life, the internet, and the laws...I wonder how these might apply.

It seems to me, that due to the intellectual property rights and the fact that real-world damages COULD result from an attack such as this...thus it seems that the legal ramifications might be far greater than I'd ever read or seen in other games or stories of 'internet attacks' and such.

Just curious what y'all think...and its something to pass the time

Take care.

I doubt that any self respecting lawyer would actually take up this case.

It'd be ideal for Jack Thompson then

JOKE! JOKE!

I couldn't resist it.

Don't worry. He's likely getting hit with the same storm we are at the moment (or hiding), so he's taken.

Wait a sec...

I agree with your assessment, Cyrus, in principle. A civil case could defintely be made in court agains these people. However, lost business is one of the hardest things to quantify. Even though evidentuary rules in civil court are pretty open, it's still very difficult to prove lost business. I'd love to try though if there's a group of like-minded people out there, and a lawyer who isn't afraid to make a little history.

there are self respecting lawyers??

Yup....please don't read any serious "Lets get a lawsuit together" intention from my original post....I was only curious as to the possible 'problems' that someone who maliciously hacks a game might risk facing.

Folks have been lurking on the internet and causing 'silly' problems for a long long time. In my experience, the ones who 'grief' or outright 'attack' things to 'show off their skills' are usually the least skilled. They seem to often be folks who know just enough to 'be dangerous'. The folks that ARE very skilled it seems you rarely know are ever there...and usually aren't out to 'harm' anyone. They possess the technical skill but they also are educated enough to know the possible repercussions of their actions.

However, SL is the first environment I've ever encountered or been a part of where people could actually create pretty much anything they wanted and, for all practical purposes, own it. I stumbled upon SL completely by accident while looking for some information for a whole separate game. I didn't even know SL existed and when I read through the website I was just completely floored....thinking "Wow...I didn't even know an environment like this did or could exist". Its the "Freedom of creativity" that I LOVE so much about SL. Build what you want, do what you want...just don't harm anyone else or ruin their fun. Whether someone is interested in building giant robots, being a land baron, a ballet dancer, building spaceships, or just lurking in the red light districts and looking for AV sex....who cares...do what you want and have fun...just be responsible. Its the 'freedom' I love so much in this game.

Myself, I'm a programmer in my first life. My wife is an animator in her first life. It amazes us that we have the potential to DO what we know how to DO and make stuff for US in the game...then take that same stuff and make Lindens with it...and allow others to use and enjoy it. Thats just fabulous to me. Both my wife and I are still pretty new so we're a ways away from actually 'making' much of anything yet...but its exciting.

So far in SL though...my only 'griefing' experiences have been being shot by a gun that pushed me across the world....and learning how to gain as much privacy as reasonably possible on our own little plot of land.

Last night's 'attack' was the first time I witnessed anything more 'serious' so it made me curious as to what a serious 'attacker' might face when folks have more 'invested' in the SL environment than they would in other game-type environments. In various MMORPG's...players get REAL upset when there is a rollback or a glitch that causes them to lose what they perceive as a valuable item...however in SL there actually IS value attached to things that is more 'tangible'.

Alot of SL is pretty new to me yet...so I was more curious than anything.

@Cyrus: Very cool that you and your wife can both play um.. I mean RESIDE in sl. There's a current thread here somewhere about how to have 2 or more computers on sl at the same time. Look forward to seeing your creations soon!Me too!Buy a Bravo Bravo Radar and use its guard features lol... totally AWESOME... Bravo Bravo Radars ROCK!

We'll give that a try

I agree completely with the original poster.

We are going to see an increase in RL-valued activities in SL.

It will reach a threshhold where RL law can not ignore it any longer. It's only a matter of time and RL laws will be forced to accomodate virtual world value simply because enough people will demand it.

In the mean time let most of the world laugh...I rather doubt they'll be still laughing in 10 or 20 years when virtual space law will likely be as important as RL law.

In terms of lost L$ revenue, and intellectual property damage, I don't think there's much of a case.

I think the case has merit as an ordinary DOS attack. But even then, it's probably more work to prosecute than it's worth.


Perhaps LL needs to step in with more law in the next, say, year or so? I think there's enough RL law already to deal with any situations that arise. It may only take some creative lawyers to apply RL law to SL situations without any undesirable consequences.

@Val: I remember reading how countries didn't start arguing air space law until planes were invented. Then outer space law when satellites were orbited. Then planet law when stuff and people were landed on the Moon.Love it! exACTly!