A court in China sentenced a gangster to three years in prison for extorting virtual goods from a game-player (presumably someone involved in gold-farming, running a large guild or something other than simple play, as the man had nearly $15,000 worth of virtual items; though he may have just been super hardcore):
According to the Xinhua news agency, the man, along with three others, assaulted another man in the cafe, forcing him to give up various virtual goods and 100,000 yuan ($14,700) worth of the virtual currency known as QQ coins. The coins are the currency utilized by the major Chinese web portal, Tencent. It is used for the purchase of online goods and premium services for supported titles…
Despite the clear financial value, no law exists in China to protect virtual goods or currency. This case changed set a new precedent: The court ruled that the victim should be protected because he spent money on the extorted items. Under the ruling, the three men who assisted in the crime were fined. The primary defendant was sentenced to three years in prison.
(via Raph)
