The Kathy Lee-ization of MMORPGs

In a recent article from MSNBC, columnist Tom Loftus discusses the sweatshop industry building up around popular online role playing games. Since there is some real money to be made from selling your virtual real estate and characters some evildoers are creating sweatshops where Third World employees are paid very little to play and play and play to build up a character and land. Then, the evildoer will turn around and sell his sweatshop made virtual property to the highest bidder. Now the task is set before legal minds to decide what exactly qualifies as "property" and "trade" in virtual worlds. Perhaps we need a virtual judge to hear trials in a virtual courtroom?