1. Public Policy in the Virtual World: Imagining How It Could Curb Your w00t John W. Bagby who is Playing to Win

2. 2 Virtual Law is Becoming a Reality –Another Virtual Law Conference … TODAY Concurrent with Virtual Worlds 2008 http://www.virtuallawconference.com/ Jacob K Javits Convention Center NYC – American Bar Association Section of Science & Technology Law New Comm. on Virtual Worlds/Multiuser Online Games Co-Chair & Author of new ABA treatise: Virtual Law –http://www.abanet.org/abastore/index.cfm?section=main&fm=Product.AddToCart&pid=5450052http://www.abanet.org/abastore/index.cfm?section=main&fm=Product.AddToCart&pid=5450052

3. 3 What Virtual Public Policy Issues Arise? –Cyberlaw All over Again? Jurisdiction, Dispute Resolution, ADR, ODR Property Rights: IP Contracts –OSP interactions: EULA, ToS, 3d P Service Outsourcing –Enforceability of User Side Agreements Financial Services Banking, Securities & Taxes…Oh My! Torts, Privacy, Defamation, Fraud/Deception, Stalking

4. 4 Why Should Democratic Capitalism Drive Virtual Environment Public Policy? –Private Property - Creative Incentives Lockean social contract Enjoyment, Economic Benefit Internalization, Exclusivity –Enforceability of Contracts Enhances Private Property Ownership –Alienability of Private Property enhances enjoyment »Conversion into other asset forms –Development of Markets enhances enjoyment »Deception, Barriers to Entry, Transparency

5. 5 Dispute Resolution as THE Starting Point –Litigation with Fellow Users “in World” Eros v. Simon (E.D.N.Y, 2007) –Settled cheap Eros v. Leatherwood (M.D.Fl. 2007) –Default J/ –Settlement negotiations reportedly ongoing

6. 6 Litigation with VE/OSP –Virtual Environment/Online Service Provider –Bragg v. Linden Research (E.D.Pa.5.20.07) Linden ToS: SL as opportunistic Scrivener –Choice of Law/Forum & ADR ADR Boilerplate is Unconscionable –Procedural Unconscionability »cognition, consideration and negotiation –Substantive Unconscionability »Shocks the conscience

7. 7 IP for Virtual Environments –Full Range Likely Process patents, T/S, Copyright, ™ dB –Thresholds are the expressive works Copyright –DMCA Trademark –Famous Marks

8. 8 The Linden ToS as a model EULA

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