While some like to describe cyberspace as “a Wild West high-tech”, where “off-the-law” can enjoy “a lawless zone” to “plunder without reserve in underground storage “The news reminds us that the law, as imperfect as it is, does apply on the Internet.
Whether on social networks, video games online or even in the case of copyright, justice and the authorities have the capacity to intervene in and through the digital realm for violations. Even in the case of physical theft of a video game console.
Whether on social networks, video games online or even in the case of copyright, justice and the authorities have the capacity to intervene in and through the digital realm for violations. Even in the case of physical theft of a video game console.
Indeed, during his investigation, Matt Roberson discovered that the young man was a regular player of the famous MMORPG developed by Blizzard. It did no less for a plan to seed in his mind, contact the California company to send him a subpoena. It was a gamble, because the company had no legal obligation to cooperate: Blizzard was outside the jurisdiction of the sheriff, Indiana.
But some time tad more, the police received a package of information sent by the firm califorienne, including the IP address of the player, the history of the game account, personal information and banking, the names of characters played and servers occupied. With these data, and with the help of Canadian authorities, Matt Roberson was able to locate the cache Alfred Hightower (better known to play under the pseudonym Rastlynn), and to request his extradition.
The moral of this story, if there is one, it is the Internet is far from being a zone of lawlessness, even in fantastic virtual worlds. Therefore, the “civilization campaign of new networks’ proposed by Nicolas Sarkozy really seems of another age … and out-of-regard.