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Second Life Items Get eBay Go-Ahead

By BetaNews Staff, BetaNews

January 29, 2007, 3:06 PM

Traditionally, virtual items are banned from eBay; however, the company said Monday that it would exempt items from the popular Second Life virtual world. The change in policy comes from a reconsideration of what the company considers a "game." An eBay spokesperson says that there is a question as to whether or not Second Life is actually a game, so it will refrain from pulling listings for the time being.

Don't take this as a change in the online auction site's policies. Still banned are gaming items from virtual worlds like World of Warcraft and Everquest. eBay made no additional statements on whether it planned to change its policies regarding those popular massively multiplayer online games.

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By aneff01

edited Mar 4, 2008 - 8:10 AM

A highly recommended site is elfingo.com for online auctions. They are the new ebay. Many smaller sites like this offer buyers far better deals than ebay ever could. Buyser also save a ton because this site charges little or nothing depending on the day. One more reaso I like elfingo.com is because they don't take a part of the sale at all. No commissions or final value fees. A+++ http://www.elfingo.com

Score: 0

By PowerGamers

edited Feb 1, 2007 - 6:35 PM

This unwise move by eBay will lose them millions of dollars in auction fees and double the profits of giant companies such as IGE. The MMORPG industry shows a high demand of in-game currency and where’s a high demand, marketers will always provide a wide array of offers such as http://www.power-gamers.net . Games like World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy, EverQuest, StarWars Galaxy, Guildwars, SilkRoad, Lineage and the list could go on forever, are highly addictive and players will go to great lengths to enrich their gaming experience and otherwise enhance their virtual characters by purchasing the items and in-game currency for real cash.

Score: 0

By coffee247

edited Jan 30, 2007 - 2:45 PM

This all about the pressure that the companies that own WOW (Blizzard), Everquest (Sony), etc are placing on Ebay because they (Blizzard, Sony,etc) are not getting a cut of the profits. Sony has already openend there own virtual store(Station Exchange)for some of there games. This store operates under the same premise as Ebay (bringing demand & supply together)... you can buy virtual items & virtual currency with real dollars. Once they refine it, they will no doubt have a 'exchange' for each of there games; Blizzard and others will follow shortly.

So if the company itself is ok with themselves doing it, what is so wrong with Ebay doing it? hmmmm

Score: 0

By melkor

edited Jan 30, 2007 - 1:39 PM

SL lets you own your copyrights and to own your inventory (you do not hold the right to access or delete your content/inventory though. This is done so they can ban you and not have to worry about you suing to remove/access your content/inventory).

It's really a difficult situation to describe because it is the blurring between property law and copyright law. And the two do not mesh at all well (they never have).

LL treats inventory as property governed by copyright. The advantages of both, though the permission tools are pretty blunt (so blunt in fact that you can't enforce the GPL or CC; but then you can't enforce them in the RW so it's a moot point). LL has always endeavored to work with third parties involved in the world to stamp out fraud (and roll back changes where applicable to accounts).

The two big SL things that could be sold on eBay are land and money. Both LL can ensure are delivered. They keep detailed records of transactions so it would be no problem for them to work with eBay's abuse department.

All things considered, the chances of eBay getting burned are limited. This is eBay wanting a bigger piece of the pie. They probably want to move into the (lucrative) market of selling in world assets much like SLX or SLB.

It is hard to say SL is a game, how many games, when you die is the only result being teleported home? Not to mention that dieing is only sometimes possible? Or that there is no concept of levels or skills. Better yet, no leader boards, no secret levels, and no quests. SL is only slightly more a game then IRC.

It is better to consider SL a platform to which users provide all of the content (which some of that content may be games).

eBay should rewrite their policies to reflect the property rights requirements at the heart of the matter and forgo the 'game' discussion. Should simply be written as "You cannot sell anything you do not own."

eBay should just say: "You cannot sell what you do not own; WoW & Everquest owners do not recognize the right of the user to own inventory nor do they provide support to guaranty transactions are completed. LL on the other hand does recognize the right of the user to own, sell and trade inventory (and provides support to guaranty transactions at their end). We see no point in stopping what they deem permissible and encourage (especial if it makes us money)."

Score: 0

By Rainbow7180

posted Jan 29, 2007 - 7:31 PM

No, not traditionally - this was a recent change.

Score: 0

By Dev3lop3

posted Jan 29, 2007 - 4:45 PM

You know this opens a "pandoras box" of people selling items that dont actually exist...

Well it doesnt really matter since the people who play second life dont have a first life of their own. haha What cant do real life? LOL

Score: 0

By SpaceQ

posted Jan 30, 2007 - 3:23 AM

Well I believe ownership of small items is better protected in second life than in your real life. You can check if it exists and you know exactly when transfer was made to you and u can even reject. Confirmation of transfer exists as well. Soo all items will have unique signature so you would be able to search for their uniqueness with one click of the button something u can not do as colector in real life.

We, ppl, got that far as we know how to similate our steps in our brains.. Second Life extends this capability even further... so actually who is backward is one without second life.

Score: 0

By Sexbarril

posted Jan 31, 2007 - 1:59 PM

So your saying without a "Secnd Life" you have no "First Life"...wouldnt that be a self defeating label?

Latz, SB

Score: 0

By xyzcb1

posted Jan 29, 2007 - 3:55 PM

The article is misleading. Virtual items don't get banned in eBay. They get banned because the creators didn't get a share of the profit. If the creators get a percentage on every items sold, I am sure they will allow it.

I don't understand what's their freaking problem, MMORPG already charging their members a monthly fee, why can't their memebers sell their works?

Probably using the same type of excuse that the US government use to banned Online deposit for poker sites.

Score: 0

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