eBay Bans Sales of Virtual Items From Online Games

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 29, 2007 - 2:20pm.

San Francisco - Online auctions giant eBay has begun to remove all auctions for virtual items from online games ranging from "World of Warcraft" to "Neopets," Slashdot reported.

The company has decided to ban auctions for all virtual characters, currency, weapons, attire and accounts within online games. The real-world market for virtual game items is estimated at more than $250 million a year.

eBay spokesman Hani Durzy told Slashdot the company's decision was based on the "legal complexities" surrounding virtual property.

Many publishers of online games ban the real-world sales of virtual items, although outside of eBay a healthy market exists on sites like Internet Gaming Entertainment (IGE); Sony has also launched a legitimate exchange for virtual items within its online games called Station Exchange.

An exception to the eBay ban is the auction of items from the virtual world "Second Life."

"We think there is an open question about whether Second Life should be regarded as a game," Durzy told CNET News.com.

Related Links:
http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/01/26/2026257
http://tinyurl.com/272o67 (CNET)
http://www.ige.com
http://stationexchange.station.sony.com