Eric Krangel, Contributor, Silicon Alley Insider

Dutch Kid Mugged at Knifepoint for Virtual Goods

October 24, 2008 at 12:01 am PT

A Dutch court confirms the obvious: Virtual goods, such as Facebook gifts or World of Warcraft gold, are real goods. And if you steal them, it’s theft.

The novel legal finding comes after two punk kids in the town of Leeuwarden attacked a 13-year-old boy, beat him up, and forced him at knife point to log in to the online game RuneScape and transfer an amulet, a mask, and his game credits to their account. (Now that’s engagement.)

The judge ruled “goods don’t have to be material for the law to consider them stolen.” Sentence: 160 hours community service.

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Tagged with: Eric Krangel, Facebook, Leeuwarden, Runescape, Silicon Alley Insider

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