Man Steals EVE Online Cash to Pay Real Debts

[Azhrarn-101]

Then what type of document is it? Why would they even bother making a Eula if it wasn't at least partially binding? Now I really wish I knew an Australian lawyer so I could see what they could do tot he guy. If blizzard used a Eula breach for a civil suit why couldn't CCP do the same? At the very least it would keep the guy in court and occupy some $ so it wasn't a complete gain for him (as well as being a deterrent.)

a EULA is technically just a fancy wall of text in which you promise not to use the product the EULA is for in a manner that is illegal as defined by the terms of the agreement.
No EULA, anywhere carries any true legal weight.
It is often treated by companies as a contract, but it is not, since usually you do not have the option to preview the contract before purchase, or to even return the product should you not agree to the terms defined in the agreement.
(many PC games and software now have this due to one-time online activation. you can't return them anymore)

And because a EULA does not carry any legal weight, it doesn't need to follow the rules of a contract either. The things I mentioned above would be mandatory in most countries on the planet if a EULA did carry any weight of law.

The reason Blizz got their way was simply that this person was selling a third-party program that interfered directly with blizzard's product and he was making money from it. (it technically was copyright infringement because of how it worked)

What occured here is that a player stole a large quantity of ingame currency (which is allowed) and then sold it to a third party. (most likely a gold-selling website of some kind)
That was not allowed according to the EULA, but I doubt they could use that as a ground for a civil suit against him.

LOL that game says its legal to scam other plays for their credits ? LOL thats lousy hehe. All though we know that sort of stuff is fun, but lol, they encourage it ?

EVE is pretty ruthless in that regard. It's player population (the capsuleers) are essentially hyper-capitalists, willing to do just about anything for money and the ingame governments don't have the power to really stop them from doing it.
A single capsuleer vessel can take out a conventional fleet many times it's own size with relative ease.
Enforcing law among a group of people who are just about demi-gods with the wealth of entire planetary economies, compared to a normal person that is and you see why enforcing the law isn't exactly an easy prospect.
Add the fact that they technically can't die either and you see why the RP-background very easily accomodates things like scamming and randsoming.

Capsuleers can be bastards because very few things other than more capsuleers have the power to stop them.
An average Level 4 mission-runner will kill more people in a single mission than most single battles in World War 2 have done. Each ship has a crew, especially non-capsuleer ships, which can have crews of thousands.

 

[Azhrarn-101]

Well said. I don't know Australian law. However I can see them establishing a civil case if they can prove damage and malicious intent. As I said though I don't know Australian law so it may be different than America as far as the criteria for civil suits.

Neither do I, and perhaps it is possible to persue a civil suit against this person, but then CCP needs to weigh their options. Is it worth it to invest money in a suit that may not even be possible to try and reclaim some of the money lost due to this breach in the EULA or just accept the loss of several thousand dollars worth of virtual currency (which cost CCP nothing), and just keep the account (and I assume the man's CC) banned.

 

[Azhrarn-101]

What would be cool is if they put it to a vote or trial on EVE itself to determine whether or not to take action. Then the community would feel involved.

Well, I wouldn't be surprised if the CSM was already involved.
(Council of Stellar Management, an elected body of players whom CCP consults about the game and events around the game and policy. Elections are once a year)

 

[Hypochrisy]

To be honest, if I'd found out someone had took my VIRTUAL money on a game (money which is apparently easy enough to make) to pay for a home and medical expenses for their ill son... I wouldn't be able to care less and tell them they're more than welcome to it.

It's a game, his son is real.

 

[nathan-dts]

Said funds went to cover [...] medical expenses for his son.

I have a hard time condemning him, if for no other reason than this. Wouldn't we have done the same?

Agreed. Get banned on a game or pay medical expenses.

You are still stealing so its just not a ban as your punishment. Whatever penalties your ethos proscribes for thieves, this man deserves.

Stealing the in game currency is allowed in the rules. Exchanging online currency for real currency isn't against the law.

 

[Azhrarn-101]

The different levels of social manipulation make me want to try this game.

I wonder if EVE has its equivalent of an Illuminati and if so how does one join. Obviously if there were one they wouldn't likely say so on a board but its fun to think of.

Free Trials are free.

But given how EVE works, I really wouldn't be surprised if something like that existed in-game.
The internal politics of the various player factions and the interaction between those factions are complex beyond belief, so it's more than possible.

 

[EnglishMuffin]

Even in a virtual world a CEO is scum.

 

[Baron Khaine]

Wow, EVE currency is far less valuable on a black market that WoW gold. suck it EVE, Suck it.

Because there's a lot more of it, its easier to make, and you need a lot more of it.

Unlike in WoW where gold is like what, a side game?

 

[Azhrarn-101]

Wow, EVE currency is far less valuable on a black market that WoW gold. suck it EVE, Suck it.

5000 gold probably equates to around a billion ISK in terms of buying power in their respective games.
I think you'll find that makes the ISK a bit more valuable relatively speaking.

 

[GruntOwner]

Sucks to be him I guess.

What sucks about profiting thousands of dollars?

A thousend or so dollars on In game wealth, which therefore belonged to the company? I can't help but notice that very few people on this site seem to know that the terms and conditions state that all in game shizz belongs to the company. He didn't profit. Profit is what happens when a business makes more money than it spent. He stole. He stole several thousend dollars from a large coorperation. Terminalchaos is summing the matter up quite nicely. He's spent a few years paying subscription and he's noe decided that. since he needs that money back, he should just take some with interest. And nothing he did was in the spirit of the game seeing as he actually stated that he had no desire to return to the game.

 

[Baron Khaine]

Wow, EVE currency is far less valuable on a black market that WoW gold. suck it EVE, Suck it.

Because there's a lot more of it, its easier to make, and you need a lot more of it.

Unlike in WoW where gold is like what, a side game?

that made no economical sense.

Yes I thought that after typing it, but it made sense in my head.

Anyway, for all those people saying that they want to try EVE, people with EVE accounts can send out 21 day free trial's, an extra 7 day's on the normal trial of 14 day's, so if anyone wants a 21 day free trial, send me a PM with your e-mail address in, and i'll get one sent out to you.

 

[Jadak]

Sucks to be him I guess.

What sucks about profiting thousands of dollars?

A thousend or so dollars on In game wealth, which therefore belonged to the company? I can't help but notice that very few people on this site seem to know that the terms and conditions state that all in game shizz belongs to the company. He didn't profit. Profit is what happens when a business makes more money than it spent. He stole. He stole several thousend dollars from a large coorperation. Terminalchaos is summing the matter up quite nicely. He's spent a few years paying subscription and he's noe decided that. since he needs that money back, he should just take some with interest. And nothing he did was in the spirit of the game seeing as he actually stated that he had no desire to return to the game.

Profit : Derive a benefit from. Make a profit; gain money or materially.

Argue it any way you like, at the ends of the day, he gained 5,000+ US dollars, that might suck for others, but certainly not for him (provided a banning of his account is the only consequence at least)

 

[samsonguy920]

To be honest, if I'd found out someone had took my VIRTUAL money on a game (money which is apparently easy enough to make) to pay for a home and medical expenses for their ill son... I wouldn't be able to care less and tell them they're more than welcome to it.

It's a game, his son is real.

QFT...as I said before, any MMO is worth giving up for something more worthwhile. Maybe he will have to pay the taxes, but the tax on that amount will be easier to find legitimately than the entire amount he acquired. If you feel this is theft, then you have your mind on too much material thought, and don't seem to have a care for the spiritual or familial. There are also no details on where this guy stood as far as finding money for his son's medical care. For all we know he exhausted all of them, since most cases would have found some reason to turn him down. Don't be so quick to judge, since that tends to guide eyes more upon yourself. Nobody is squeaky clean.