Statements

From Ludium

[edit] Thalo

1.1 Designers should have freedom of expression (Thalo 2-1, Thalo 3-1, Palvi 2.2)

1.2 Merged with Sysland 9 We urge the creation of a universal user's bill of rights

1.3 We support the creation of a universal age verification system to support the individual rights of all users (Thalo 1-2, Thalo 2-6, Sysland 1-5)

1.4 We urge the inclusion of plain language EULA statements to enable all individuals to understand their rights and courts to construe contracts to protect those rights (Thalo 1-3, Palvi 2-5)

1.5 We urge research into virtual worlds as places with untapped potential, providing new and positive experiences and effects We urge the research into the positive social aspects of online community creation and participation (Thalo 1-4)

1.6 Players should be notified well in advance of substantial change that would affect the nature of the virtual world (Thalo 2-3)

1.7 There are different types of virtual worlds, with different policy implications (Thalo 2-4)

1.8 The less government regulation, the better (Thalo 3-4)

1.9 There should be a self-governance group in the industry of virtual world stakeholders (Thalo 3-7, Sysland 2-3, Sysland 3-6, Palvi 3-5)

1.10 We urge the research of gender-specific virtual world experiences (Thalo 1-5)

1.11 There is a rich 30-year history of virtual worlds, over which time a set of best practices has emerged which policy-makers should take into account

[edit] Sysland

2.1 Merged with Thalo 9 Establish a national council of stakeholders to research the long-term effects of synthetic worlds and recommend applicable laws and policies regarding their inter/intra-national communications

2.2 Recognize that fair use may apply in synthetic worlds which enable amateur creation of original works In regards to copyright and related intellectual property issues, amateur to amateur creation and exchange made for non-commercial purposes within virtual worlds, is subject to the principles of fair-use (Sysland 3-7, Sysland 2-5)

2.3 Game developers shall not be liable for the actions taken by the players (Sysland 1-1)

2.4 Congress should resolve that legislators and judges, as policy makers, should use and become familiar with synthetic world technology. (Sysland 3-1)

2.5 Merged with Thalo 3 There should be a national standard of best practices for monitoring minor online behavior

2.6 Congress should encourage the growth of synthetic worlds by restricting taxation to the moment of realized gain in conventional currencies. (Sysland 3-4)

2.7 Universal access tax per subscriber (versus tax per transaction) to pay for universal broadband access (Sysland 2-1)

2.8 Advertising facilitated by world owner must be fully disclosed (Sysland 2-7)

2.9 Define players' bill of rights (free speech, right to assemble, to organize) (Sysland 2-6, Thalo 1-1)

2.10 For live roleplaying, liability waivers are a valid form of legal protection (Sysland 1-2)

2.11 Merged with Thalo 5 Congress should encourage the study of synthetic worlds as generative spaces, with largely untapped potential for areas such as learning, therapy, and social justice

[edit] Palvi

3.1 Access is critical to virtual worlds. Net neutrality must be maintained (Palvi 2-1)

3.2 Merged with Thalo 9 We advocate the creation of virtual simulation games rating board, independent of government oversight, that include representatives of game industry, parents, behavior specialists to transparently provide information about game content

3.3 Comprehensive package of funding for educational games research, development, and literacy (Palvi 1-1, Palvi 3-7)

3.4 Merged with Thalo 4 The Elephant: Courts should construe contracts narrowly to protect the community

3.5 Merged with Thalo 1 For democracy to function, people need to speak. First Amendment protection for creators and community members

3.6 Basic Privacy: No third party voyeurism or copying (Palvi 2-6)

3.7 Recognize Jurisdiction: States have the ability to regulate to protect their citizens (Palvi 2-7)

3.8 There should be further investigation of the ability to translate items and avatars across virtual worlds (Palvi 1-6)

3.9 Judicial Decisionality: Transparency, Expeditiousness, Finality, based on labor model (Palvi 2-4)

3.10 "You Always Have a Job": We advocate the development of a virtual world that offers online work distribution, competition, payment, and training globally to make available participation in the global economy to all, to alleviate economic inequalities (Palvi 3-1)

3.11 Merged with Thalo 5 All stakeholders recognize the potential of virtual worlds and that virtual worlds be allowed to develop before heavy regulation