A sad observation: RMT's are now fencing stolen goods.

[Kyreth]

We all know RMT's efforts redouble during the holiday season.

Of course, this time they're getting their gil by stealing your accounts, looting the results, and selling it straight to RMT seller companies- who are amazingly and suddenly stocked to the gills with gil and ready to screw-I mean serve you, the public.

Three guesses who knows who's stealing your accounts and fencing the results, essentially recieving what can only be described as stolen goods. After all, they're the ones paying to the suppliers (who get it by the aforementioned keylog-and-steal methods).

Does this mean in theory companies like IGE can be nailed for dealing in stolen property? Should they be? Can this be the method by which the thieves can be identified and punished?

[Khamsin]

I wonder if you could buy your own account back from IGE.

[ronin sparthos]

Only if...

[Lexa]

I wonder if you could buy your own account back from IGE.

Would that be as bad as "for real-real" RMTing?

[Tajin]

Buy it back only to have it banned from SE when they take action...

>.>

<.<

well, it could happen! I swear on this

[LinktheDeme]

well, it could happen! I swear on this

you're doing it wrong

[Mizango]

I wonder if you could buy your own account back from IGE.

At this point absolutely nothing would surprise me.

[LinktheDeme]

I wonder if you could buy your own account back from IGE.

At this point absolutely nothing would surprise me.

First off we're assuming its IGE that's doing this. While it is one of the biggest commercial RMT websites theres quite a few out there. Anyhow seeing how paypal doesn't support transactions for virtual items couldnt you just pay them get your character back call paypal say your accounts been haxed or something and it's been buying virtual items. Get refund and character back?


edit: Anyone =/ Anyhow

[Infini]

Pity IGE hasnt been sued for something by now nothing more satisfying that to see it crash and burn

[Flight_93]

Even if IGE were to die, all if its market share would be dispersed overnight.

[MaachaQ]

Pity IGE hasnt been sued for something by now nothing more satisfying that to see it crash and burn

There was an article someone posted a link to that said Blizzard is/was suing IGE, not sure if it has been resolved yet or not... I think it was in the big "Stolen Accounts" thread... Was an article called "The Rise and Fall of IGE"

edit: here's the link http://www.mmobux.com/articles/760/t...nd-fall-of-ige

[sb]

http://www.igeclassaction.com/?p=24
[quote:1rytdbrb]Florida Attorney General’s Office of Economic Crimes Issues Investigative Subpoena to IGE U.S., a.k.a. Affinity Media

By Scott | December 19, 2007

Today we learned that the Florida Attorney General’s Office of Economic Crimes issued an investigative subpoena for records to IGE U.S., a.k.a. Affinity Media. The subpoena was issued pursuant to the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act in the course of an official investigation. The subpoena states that the purpose and scope of the investigation extends to possible unfair and deceptive trade practices which involve the advertising and marketing practices of I.G.E. U.S.

The subpoena seeks records relating to the distribution, marketing, pricing and sale of World of Warcraft gold. The subpoena also seeks documents relating to the organization and structure of IGE U.S., Affinity Media, and IGE Ltd. The subpoena seeks financial and sales information, the identity of specific World of Warcraft accounts owned or controlled by IGE, the identity of World of Warcraft accounts that IGE has power leveled, and the IP addresses IGE used to log into World of Warcraft to distribute products sold by IGE. The subpoena also seeks documents which show all websites owned or controlled by IGE or its affiliates at any time.

While the Florida Attorney General’s investigation of IGE is not directly related to our IGE v. Hernandez class action, the Attorney General’s investigation does involve the same cause of action – the alleged violation of Florida’s Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Newsome Law Firm will follow this investigation with great interest and keep our class members updated on this investigation through this web site.

You can download a copy of the Attorney General’s subpoena if you click the link.[/quote:1rytdbrb]

(I posted this a thread in the general forum earlier today, holy deja vu )

[Midge]

I thought IGE and the like were just distribuotrs of gil, they dont farm the gil themselves they just buy it off the sweatshops. As a result it wouldn't it be hard to implicate them in something like this?

I could be wrong, thats the impression I got from watching that "boohoo chinese gil farmers have it so bad" video on youtube somewhere. I'd post a link but it's too early in the morning here and I cant be bothered

[Sekkite]

MMO items have no value as far as the law is concerned. Every single MMO company on the market would want to keep it this way, as if they tried to take anyone to court over such a claim, then the government will try to find ways to tax in-game goods as MMO goods would have been established as having value in the real world.

Unfortunately, the situation is that if actions are taken to stamp out RMT, then we'll have much worse problems on our hands. Loose loose situation.

[Sykes]

I thought IGE and the like were just distribuotrs of gil, they dont farm the gil themselves they just buy it off the sweatshops. As a result it wouldn't it be hard to implicate them in something like this?

This is correct. IGE does not farm gil ... they are essentially brokers. That said, they are as much to blame as anyone; however, because virtual goods have no market value, I doubt any laws concerning receiving stolen goods would apply.

[Melchiah]

The point is that IGE is turning a profit on SE's intellectual property w/o consent.

[Skycaptain]

MMO items have no value as far as the law is concerned. Every single MMO company on the market would want to keep it this way, as if they tried to take anyone to court over such a claim, then the government will try to find ways to tax in-game goods as MMO goods would have been established as having value in the real world.

Doesn't the existence of IGE and their ilk make this a moot point?
Clearly if there were no monetary value in MMO goods IGE would not exist!

[mikazuki]

the lawsuit is irrespective of value of the goods traded, it is directed towards the negative consequences of the trading. in analogy: someone comes into your grocery store and takes half the items from the shelves and runs them around on your shopping carts, then they trade the goods for cash to your customers, who then pay for them at your tills.
the value of the goods isn't relevant, only the disruption they are causing to the legitimate trader.
however ige is essentially immune from prosecution unless it leads to the seizure of assets in the country where the case is brought - recently chances of conviction in HK (effectively china) have risen, but if Atlas is registered in vanatau, it depends on the local laws and validity of implementation.

[Lampoon]

Unfortunately international laws in regards to intellectual property are very limited especially when it comes to virtual product produced in another country.

[Kyreth]

the lawsuit is irrespective of value of the goods traded, it is directed towards the negative consequences of the trading. in analogy: someone comes into your grocery store and takes half the items from the shelves and runs them around on your shopping carts, then they trade the goods for cash to your customers, who then pay for them at your tills.
the value of the goods isn't relevant, only the disruption they are causing to the legitimate trader.
however ige is essentially immune from prosecution unless it leads to the seizure of assets in the country where the case is brought - recently chances of conviction in HK (effectively china) have risen, but if Atlas is registered in vanatau, it depends on the local laws and validity of implementation.

At this point, one could put a reasonable case forward that in buying large amounts of Gil (and selling it, thereby defining a value) from people without determining it's origin, and that furthermore that said Gil was generated via theft...that IGE is now part of the problem, the same way a fence is if they're looking the other way while buying the HDTV some guy jacked from your apartment and then reselling the results.

Thousands of accounts stolen and used to line IGE's pockets as suppliers would qualify as "disruption" in the extreme.