Legal Times Article on Law in Virtual Worlds
July 30th, 2007 by Benjamin Duranske
Legal Times (a D.C.-based publication) is running one of the better overview articles I’ve read on law in virtual worlds (free registration required). It doesn’t spend too much time on the D.C. angle, so it’s likely to be interesting to most readers. I am quoted a few times, and the reporter also talked to a number of other practitioners and commentators. One thing I liked is that this writer, Attila Berry, though not a Second Life user before, made an avatar, met people in-world, and generally tried to figure out what was appealing about this rather than coming in with preconceived notions.
Anyway, it’s worth reading and maybe bookmarking, because it’s the kind of thing you can send to your incredulous colleagues and family to explain how law in virtual worlds isn’t just a complete waste of your time.
A few highlights:
- D.C. attorney Stevan Lieberman says his firm has brought in about $20,000 worth of business from Second Life.
- David Post, a law professor at Temple University, says he thinks in-world legal systems will make virtual worlds more attractive to business.
- I discuss how it’s important for attorneys practicing in-world to be careful of unauthorized practice of law and conflict of interest rules.
- The reporter beats me to the election results for my own organization, announcing that Field Fisher Waterhouse partner David Naylor is the new President-Elect of the Second Life Bar Association (we’re finishing up an election for the Executive Board right now and I’ll formally announce all the results here when that’s done). David will take over in January, when my term expires.
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I have to say, it’s a very well-written article.