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The rocky legal landscape of virtual worlds, Part 1: Trademarks

13 Nov 2008

Virtual worlds provide not only a new universe in which brave explorers stake their claims, but also a new legal landscape in which the colonists are often at odds with the natives from the "old world." How do real-world laws apply? How do traditional concepts of intellectual property - patents, copyrights, and trademarks - apply in a virtual world? Can virtual worlds contract around intellectual property rights by forcing users to license their intellectual property, or forego such claims altogether?

This article is the first in a series of three discussing these issues with respect to patents, trademarks and copyrights. Each article will address how intellectual property can be used in a virtual world, as well as some of the pitfalls and obstacles that get in the way when trying to enforce intellectual property rights in virtual worlds.

Read the full article here.