metaverse

Metaverse laws considered in South Korea

 

The South Korean Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) has announced plans to refrain from enforcing traditional video game legislation in the metaverse. Instead, the ministry will release new guidelines and regulations specific to metaverse platforms. The new regulations will encourage wider use of the metaverse and will help the new ecosystem thrive.

According to the ministry, new industries demand the development of new rules. These new industries include over-the-top (OTT) streaming services, self-driving cars, and the metaverse.

Park Yoon-kyu, Director General of ICT Policy at the MSIT, believes that applying outdated and traditional regulations to a new industry like the metaverse would hinder its long-term growth and innovation. In regard to the metaverse, MSIT cautioned that a lack of institutional and legal support and regulation could negatively affect its development.

2022 State of the Union Letter of Intent by President von der Leyen

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has published her ‘2022 State of the Union Letter of Intent’, underpinning the Metaverse as an important digital opportunity and trend while also setting out plans for potential regulations of the Metaverse.

The president acknowledges that Europe must adapt to the digital age and added that the EU ‘will continue looking at new digital opportunities and trends, such as the metaverse’. However, the letter provides little specifics on EU actions.

US trademark applications for metaverse and NFTs at all-time high

 

Recent data reveals that since January 2022, there have been more US trademark applications for crypto assets, NFTs, Web3, and the metaverse than during all the months in 2021. The number of applications has more than doubled, with March 2022 seeing the highest number of filings for all types of trademark applications.

Mike Konduodis, an intellectual property lawyer, stated that individuals and businesses filed over 3,600 trademark applications for crypto-related services with the US Patent and Trademark Office in 2022, whereas in 2021, there were 3,516.

When it comes to NFT applications, they have also increased from 2,087 in 2021 to more than 5,800 in 2022. The number of trademark applications for the metaverse and Web3 has more than doubled, with nearly 4,150 applications for the metaverse and Web3 in 2022, and only 1,866 in 2021.

Metaverse and Roblox are most at risk of gaming-related cyber threats

Gamers of metaverse-like gaming platforms Roblox and Minecraft are most at risk of cyberthreats, according to Kaspersky’s most recent research evaluating the state of gaming risks.

Between 1 July 2021 and 30 June 2022, Kaspersky detected more than 384,000 users affected by almost 92,000 malicious or unwanted unique files. The research included 28 games or series of games, with Minecraft being the number one game on the list, while Roblox came in third as games with the highest risk of cyberthreat.

The report suggests gamers should be on the lookout for a wide range of threats, from phishing scams to malware downloads masquerading as updates or bonus features. Furthermore, it examined some of the most prevalent malware families and provided them with details.

The European Parliamentary Research Service briefing titled ‘Metaverse: Opportunities, Risks and Policy Implications’

The European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) published, on 24 June 2022, its briefing titled ‘Metaverse: Opportunities, Risks and Policy Implications’. While the exact scope and the effects of the metaverse on society are still unknown, it can already be seen that it will open up a range of opportunities and risks in a variety of policy areas.

In particular, the briefing summarises studies of the possible effects of metaverse platforms on several policy concerns, including competition, data protection, liability, financial transactions, cybersecurity, health, accessibility, and inclusiveness.

Shanghai Action Plan for Cultivating ‘Metaverse’ (2022-2025)

A policy paper released by the Shanghai city government on 8 July 2022 outlined its plan to develop a metaverse industry by the end of 2025.

The development plan refers to the Metaverse as a new generation of information technology integration and innovation that would drive the internet toward Web3. The innovation plan focuses on promoting the development of Metaverse-related industries and helping Beijing build a benchmark city for the digital economy.

The action plan aims at ‘strengthening cutting-edge technological breakthroughs’, focusing on virtual reality headsets, chips, cloud computing, and 5G technology.

Will the metaverse change our body language?

Body language and gestures are deeply embedded into us and are  acquired at birth. They also reflect our identity, including culture, sex, and age.

How will body language be transferred to virtual reality and the metaverse? Will we develop new types of gestures?

Some traditional habits, such as not using your hands too much to support your verbal arguments, may be changed, CNET argues:

My hands stayed too still. Moving my hands more and animating made my avatar more expressive. I had to learn to perform, in a sense, to better express myself as a human.

So far, in the metaverse frantic coverage, there is very little information on the impact on human communication, including changes in body language. It is not surprising. As CNET argues:

The most difficult things to do, programmatically, are the things that make us most human.

It remains to be seen if existing body language will adjust to the metaverse, or if virtual reality will nurture a new way of non-verbal communication.

Epic and Lego: how to protect children in Metaverse?

Epic Games (operated by Fortnite) and Lego have started a partnership to create a virtual space aimed at kids. The two companies will combine their respective expertise in online gaming.

A new element is that, at the outset of their partnership, they set three policy and governance principles for virtual spaces for children:

  • protect children’s right to play by making safety and well-being a priority;
  • safeguard children’s privacy by putting their best interests first;
  • empower children and adults with tools that give them control over their digital experience.

Safety and the rights of children are likely to be the first area where governance and policy rules for Metaverse will be developed.