Legal Realities of Virtual Property
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Keywords
virtual property, online gaming, Australian common law
Abstract
With increasing technological advancements and the soaring popularity of online gaming, the concept of ‘virtual property’ is becoming an ever-present issue. However, despite the growing overlap of virtual worlds and real life, ‘virtual property’ is yet to be legally recognised as property under Australian common law. Considered with the complex issue of enforceability at the forefront, this paper acknowledges that it is inevitably necessary to develop a legal conception and framework for ‘virtual property’. This is particularly so, given the growing real world expectations and status accorded to such property by society, which may lead to potentially severe real-life ramifications.
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