Alors que les juristes commencent tout juste à s’acclimater aux questions juridiques soulevées par Internet, un nouveau phénomène technologique fulgurant émerge: les « mondes virtuels ». Les individus participant à ces univers parallèles sont invités à se transférer des « objets virtuels » en échange d’une monnaie virtuelle qui peut parfois être convertie en dollars bien réels. Ce marché naissant commence à avoir un important impact social, économique et surtout juridique sur l’ensemble de la consommation: les conflits deviennent rapidement complexes, car les effets dommageables vont se manifester en dehors du réseau. Puisque, dans ce nouveau marché, les espaces virtuels et matériels fusionnent, plusieurs questions juridiques comme celle de la qualification juridique, du caractère exclusif, de la propriété intellectuelle et de loi applicable se posent relativement à ces objets.
Exclusive rights in the virtual worlds
While jurists are just beginning to adapt to the juridical issues posed by the internet, a new technological phenomenon is emerging: “virtual worlds.” Being both a video game and a social network, this phenomenon is growing at a rate that is traditionally reserved for the information technology sector. Participants in these parallel worlds, such as Second Life, World of Warcraft, or any of the other numerous virtual worlds, are invited to transfer “virtual objects” in exchange for virtual money that can sometimes be converted into actual money. The value of these transactions continues to rise, and now exceeds a billion American dollars annually.
Clearly this emerging market is beginning to have an important impact socio-economically, and especially legally, on the economy. In fact, the conflicts in this area are rapidly becoming complex, since these virtual encounters create legal relationships between internet users who may actually be on opposite sides of the planet within a borderless environment called “cyberspace.” Further, the damaging consequences of these activities will manifest themselves outside of the virtual network. However, these “goods” are not yet clearly recognized or protected through legislation or jurisprudence in North America or Europe. Since, in this new market, the virtual and material worlds collide, several legal questions emerge with regards to the transfer of these virtual objects, such as how to legally qualify such objects, which law applies, as well as intellectual property concerns.
