Forums

Forum Topics Posts Last post
Writings and Papers
Wrote something and want to protect it? If you're not sure about what you're doing, get advice here!
 0 0 n/a
Music
Questions about rights and intellectual property in the music industry.
 1 2 3 years 41 weeks ago
by michelle_bogre
Photo and Film
Questions and concerns about registering intellectual property in the film, television, and photo industries.
 2 3 2 years 40 weeks ago
by gebphoto
Digital Arts
Have a question or concern about copyrighting your digital work? Post it here!
 0 0 n/a
Miscellaneous
Share and tell about your newest copyrighted items or questions about copyright in general.
 6 7 3 years 40 weeks ago
by copyright

Virtual Worlds and Copyright

Massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs) are a billion dollar industry. They are also the next frontier for copyright law. Each day,  millions of players create millions of new copyrights because a copyright is created every time a player creates a prim- or graphic-based work and that work is saved (“fixed”) by the virtual world servers. While it may have been debatable years ago, today it’s generally agreed that real-world rights to creations “fixed in a tangible medium” exist in virtual worlds. The U.S Patent and Trademark office has even issued a registration for a Second Life avatar as a design mark which means that a design mark that exists solely within the MMORPG creates enforceable trademark rights in the real world.