2008 Sloan C Are You Serious

transcript

Are You Serious? How Can You Use A Virtual Environment To

Teach About The Legal Environment of Business?

Ida M. Jones, J.D.Professor of Business LawCalifornia State University,

Fresnoidaj@csufresno.edu

Ida Recreant in SL

Virtual Reality is like mainlining television. William Gibson

US science fiction novelist in Canada (1948 - ) http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/33906.html

When simulations get completely realistic, we enter the realm of virtual reality.

Gates, The Road Ahead

http://perspectivesonideas-rays.blogspot.com/2007/11/quotes-simplicity-simulations-and.html

Introduction to Second Life

4 projects using Second Life• Fall 2007: Optional project for Graduate

Students--legal issues for businesses in SL • Fall 2007--Required group project to

exploring legal issues of marketing in SL• Spring 2008: Required project for

Graduate Students--Exploring legal issues in SL

• Spring 2008: Developing an online dispute resolution center at eFresnoState

Fall 2007: Optional project for Graduate Students--legal issues for businesses in SL

Critical Thinking and analysis

Fall 2007: Optional project for Graduate Students--legal issues for businesses in SL

Discussion of property law: used example of a virtual horse,

American Hero, who won a race and the owners deactivated him

because he was “too good” for the race.

Lead to

Critical thinking: examining the meaning of “property” under the law

Student group paper: Second Life: A Look at Intellectual Property and Virtual World

EnvironmentsWhat is virtual property?• “In one sense, none of the avatars or items in a virtual world

truly ‘exist.’ That is, if a participant obtains a gold coin in a virtual world, there is no corporeal object to which the player now has a claim. The question then arises, if none of these objects exists, does it even make sense to talk about whether a property interest in them could exist? This question can be answered on either logical or moral grounds. Logically, the existence of property is a social construct, so if people treat things or ideas as if certain parties have power over them, then they can be considered property regardless of whether they have a corporeal existence. Morally, it follows from the Lockean conception of the ability to enjoy the fruits of one's labor that participants deserve some enforceable interest in virtual items that they have spent considerable time and effort creating or obtaining.”

From: Sheldon, "Claiming Ownership, but Getting Owned: Contractual Limitations on Asserting Property Interests in Virtual Goods." The Regents of the University of California 54(2007) as quoted by students in MBA215 Fall 2007

Fall 2007--Required group project to exploring legal issues of marketing in SL

Broadcast virtual games, create a clubhouse where

fans could purchase ownership in the teams and make

decisions (Group 3).

Build a team house and broadcast games (Group 1)

Play virtual soccer games (Group 2)

Legal Issues in Sports Marketing in a Virtual World

Sample Legal Issues

Determining when to hire employees and when to outsource

Determining legal rights to

lease an “island” on SL

Intellectual property rights: TV

broadcasting

Consider legal risk

management strategies

Accomplishments of this SL project

• Case analysis– Key: reading court

opinions where legal issues are identified

– Legal reasoning; determining how courts apply law

• Class project– Key: legal issues were

not clearly identified– Students entered SL;

read the textbook; read some instructor selected articles; noted legal issues through outlines and online discussions

Spring 2008-- Required project for Graduate Students--Exploring legal issues in SL

Requirements

2 group meetings on

Discuss legal issues in SL while in SL

Send references

Send individual IM from SL

Requirements-Debriefing

Online discussion questions:1. What are the issues raised in the [readings]?2. Is the legal environment in virtual worlds

different than the legal environment in real life? How does that have an impact on business conduct? Explain.

3. Should businesses consider virtual worlds for collaboration? Are there other issues that should be considered before moving into virtual environments? What steps and/or management strategies could businesses involved in virtual environments take to minimize their legal risks?

Student demographicsMBA215 Spring 2008

Demographics: Hours per week; past MMORPG users

30, 66%

14, 30%

Demographics: Current MMORPG Players

18, 79%

4, 17%

How many hours per week do you currently play video games (other than MMORPG massively multi-player role playing games)?

12, 53%10, 43%

Learning Basic Skills in SL

Question0-1 hrs

1-3 hrs

4-5 hrs

Grand Total

Approximately how long did it take for you to learn basic skills (e.g. to walk, run, fly, learn to chat)? 10 11 1 22Grand Total 10 11 1 22

Question 6 No YesGrand Total

Was meeting with your classmates and collaborating easier on Second Life than in real life? 13 9 22

Grand Total 13 9 22

Using SL-Easier to meet?

Returned to SL since assignment completed

16, 73%

6, 27%

Assessment• In depth discussions of difference between

virtual and real world• In depth discussion of whether there should

be a legal system to deal with issues in SL/virtual worlds– Suggestions include a separate system;

allowing individuals to choose the applicable legal system and basing it on the country of citizenship of the person on SL

• Discussion of legal issues for businesses that meet or collaborate in SL

eFresno State

IS187 Student Group

• IS students-final/capstone project• None had been involved in SL• Volunteered to form group• Building, webpage for online dispute

resolution center• Tour on SL

Dispute Resolution Center

Learning

benefits

Accessibility

Computer requiremen

Learning

curveIssu