Jailed For Extorting Virtual Items From Fellow Gamer
June 10, 2009 by Chapree
Image credit: walknboston Flickr
Next time, you might want to think first before physically “pau”-ing / extorting in-game virtual items or currency from your brother. Due to a landmark case in China, chances are that you might be thrown into jail for it. A group of four people at Liaoning province was found guilty for forcing a gamer to give them all his in-game items and currencies.
Although the overall value of items and online currency in the case was said to be worth more than RM 51,000, the court actually favors the victim because they deemed that he spent real money for his virtual belongings. Thus, the three men who assisted the extortion was fined and the main offender received three years of jail.
Still, no matter how much all the virtual items worth, we do feel that being thrown into jail for extorting those from a fellow gamer is actually pretty stupid. 
[sauce: InsideSocialGames.com via Boing Boing] - Thanks to our frontpage editor, Wern Shen! 
Posted in International, Online Games, Random
Chapree
June 11th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
its like u buy food then ppl pau ur food…
June 12th, 2009 at 4:22 am
It is still a crime for stealing someone’s belongings. It doesn’t matter what it is, be it virtual gaming items or worthless stuffs, the things are owned by a person and shouldn’t be taken away without the owner’s permissions. Stealing is still a crime and people should be punished for committing it.
June 12th, 2009 at 11:29 am
Well said, A13x. +1.