Dutch Supreme Court Rules That Free Virtual Items Theft Is Real Word Crime

So one of the kids argued that he wasn't committing crime by holding the other kid up with a knife, because he was stealing nothing. Brilliant. I guess that means that if I stab someone, as long as I'[m robbing him for air, the stabbing is nullified -- "see, I stabbed him, but I didn't commit a crime, he didn't have anything of value on him." Brilliant! Someone get these kids a Darwin award, quick! before abominations like them contaminate our society.

over a fucking retarded ass game they do that? those kids have no life and need to grow some real balls.... they definatly are guilty of playing a dumb ass game in the first place O-o oh well lol

What nerds.

Once again Society you have proven yourself undoubtedly stupid. Oh my god stealing in a virtual game that's like stealing something of actual economic value- oh wait no it isn't. -.- Society will eventually just kill itself under the stupidity of it's children and it's laws.

The biggest problem here is that the kids threatened another kid with a knife. They didn't get jail time, because they were kids. In exchange for jail time they got the community service. I think that the reason why the focus of this article was on the games is because this is a game website. The other thing about this, is that when the kids took the stuff in the game, it was another persons, and that is different from taking it from an NPC.

They threatened him with a knife... They threatened him with a knife... Ill repeat it 500 times if it helps. This makes petty theft seems immaterial in comparison. Jail time is due.

Actually since people all over the world are willing to pay for in game virtual items with real-world hard-earned currency, then the items do have a monetary value. Take any MMO and it either has gold farmers selling you in-game gold for real money, or it has a virtual shop where you use your credit card to buy virtual items. Therefore the theft of virtual items should be indistinguishable from any other theft.

Also I think a few hours of community service is a bit light for threatening someone with a knife.

Fantastic ruling these punks beat a younger kid and stole from him. I want to know why there is no jail time involved!

Geez I just love these FAKE headlines when the story turns out to be totally different. The problem wasnt stealng in a game, it was beating a kid up until he gave it to them, what a load of shit. THat somehow equates to "stealing in a game could end you up in prison" LMAO, what absolute lies sites will tell just to get more hits. Pathetic

LOOOL kids nowadays are all fucked up!!

all i can say is that if it is made a law then games like minecraft are fucked

what are you thinking people? there are humans diying hungry. Submited in a facist word, and you worry on boys wasting their time in a game?.... totally sick, seriously, get a life, and help those coward kinds to live in real worl.

The fact that it is a virtual mask and amulet is irrelevant. The kid was threatened with bodily harm to transfer the items to their accounts. It is armed robbery pure and simple. The virtual item has no monetary value, but it does hold an emotional/intellectual value or there would have been no conflict. Intent is a big factor in crime in general. They assaulted the kid, threatened him with a knife, and took his property. That is Assault, Armed Robbery, Extortion, and possibly Trespassing if the kid was in his home. The teenagers should have been tried as adults not as minors.

The crime is threatening the boy at knife point, not some fucking mask. They should have been charged with attempted murder. Who ever made the ruling of making stealing of virtual things illegal is an idiot. So if i beat down a kid so he can tell me the colour of his underwear, am i going to be charged with espionage now? Or unlawful interrogation? That info was free, and absolutely worthless. The point is it was assault. Get my point?

Is everyone forgetting that they are still minors which means that it was either juvenile hall or community service, jail was never even an option

Perfect A.P. quote, especially considering that the scene has a great mockery of Cockney by Caine who *is* Cockney. Letting it slip through his pretend posh accent at the end of "Sleuth" was a brilliant piece of acting. I am surprised that people on this page seem not to have apprehended that while the items stolen were on a server somewhere, the threat was physical, and took place at home. With a knife. If I were, as we all have see in (too) many a movie, take a gun and stick it another's face and demand he transfer bank account to mine in the Caymans, that wouldn't be a crime would it? After all, upon earning and depositing it, it was just turned into ones and zeros floating on the cloud. Of course, I had taken what he had earned, and converted it into what I could touch and use, though at the time of the theft it had no substance in space. The boys wanted certain items and used coercion through the threat of violence to obtain them, which should not be encouraged. Getting back to the mask, it was after all, intellectual property sitting on a corporate server. Of course the courts are going to take a dim view of its theft.

There's only two things I hate in this world. People who are intolerant of other people's cultures and the Dutch

ffff

hi

I agree with the both courts, The fact is they beat up a boy and threatened the boy with a knife just to steal data shows that they should be in jail. its dose not matter who you are or where you are in this world, its something you should not do.

Well gotta say never saw that ever happening, but it's always possible to happen.

Just glad something was done for that kid cause I've never had that happen to me because of a game, but I guess some people will go to such drastic measures for some very unorthadox reasons.

I mean seriously a game item?

Geez you could have just been friends with the poor kid and maybe bought it off him or something instead of just stealing it.

Even if the kid didn't wanna sell it there really isn't any reason for them to put someone like that at knife point... just sad....

Community service?! That's utterly inadequate. They should have been put in prison for a few years! If they die in there or their lives get ruined when they get out, who the hell cares? They were garbage to begin with.

How would it be dumb stealing from a 13 year old, think of the little kid, all his stuff were stolen and being that not enough he was threatened with a knife, thats murder intent my friend. Sadly those laws don't apply in my country, damn it I hate those bastards that just keylogged me my gunbound account (Cash items stolen) back in 2003 I was 14.

Geez I haven't played Runescape in at least ten years. I remember when I was a young lass, and Runescape 2 was just hitting the scene and was all the rage. Ah, youth.

Geez I haven't played Runescape in at least ten years. I remember when I was a young lass, and Runescape 2 was just hitting the scene and was all the rage. Ah, youth.

Wow i can't believe this... Stealing in a game is a crime punishable in real life? That is just dumb. Guess we gotta throw away thief mmo games and burn all the rouge classes... I mean why would you do something like that... If you think i am wrong then i will give you three words: NO REALWORLD VALUE! I mean this is as stupid as paying real money for hats in team fortress for more bouncy playthings in dead or alive... I mean am i going to court for stealing a gem worth 2 gold on Wurm Online? I better hope not. I mean just please... The stupidity of the government is just bogus.