(Z?rich, Switzerland) Authorities from the International Internet Committee (IIC), the body responsible for regulating world-wide Internet use and international policies, have finally passed into affect a new law making it illegal for anyone to use hacks, cheats or bots in any online video game. This new law, playfully referred to during debates as ?Policy #1337″, classifies these hacking activities in the same category as hacking software, websites, or distributing viruses. Although video game hacking, as a breach of the legally binding contract presented in a video game?s Terms of Service, has always been classified as a criminal act, this new law escalates the severity to be a felony charge. Also, cooperation from International governments on the issue will make it easier for video game developers to charge foreign citizens with the crime. Individuals who are caught using a video game hack will face fines of 10,000 EUR (approx. $14,000 USD) per instance that the hack was used, as well as up to 10 years of jail time. The revenue collected will partially be shared with the game studios affected by the hacking, and the rest will fund the ongoing investigation.
Jennifer Carter, the PR representative for InfinityGame Studios, comments ?this is a great move in favour of video game developers, especially the smaller studios who cannot afford to conduct law suits on their own. Revenue loss due to hacking in the gaming industry has been estimated to exceed $300 million US dollars [220M EUR] annually; something had to be done to protect the future of gaming.?
Local authorities in Franklin, Virginia, USA arrest alleged 14yr old video game hacker ?MegaKill234″
Arrests have been made
The American Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) technology crimes unit is the first to act on this new law, that came into affect only last night, and have enlisted the support of local police authorities to make several dozen arrests, international police are expected to quickly follow suit within the week. Agent Jason Mandova comments ?we?re taking this issue as seriously as any other federal crime. These individuals are breaking the law and costing hard working Americans money.? Under the terms of the law, anyone over the age of 14 who is charged will automatically be tried as an adult as it was demonstrated during the IIC investigations that individuals of this age are fully aware that their actions are illegal and disallowed in gaming
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