Article in Dutch:
http://hans1903.waarmaarraar.nl/pages/re/64523/Diefstal_in_runescape_levert_taakstraf_op.htmlBottom line:
2 kids threatened another kid with a knife (so in real life) and made him give them some game items in the game Runescape.
The judge (and this went up to high court in the end) ruled that
virtual game items are to be considered to have an economical value (because time and effort have been put into gaining these items [not in article, but heard this on tv]). Because of that, the above was considered theft and the boys were sentenced to community service.
If this ruling spirals further, shooting and destroying srsbsns space ships in EVE (that cost time and effort to get the ISK for) could be considered destruction of property and ransoming ships could be considered theft (let alone multi billion thefts that EVE has seen in corps, alliances and banks). True, there is no real life action in play, but it is essentially the same thing.
Curious where this will go...