THE $60,000 HEIST YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF
CRIMELESS THEFT IN CYBERSPACE
In 2017, sometime between Sept. 11 and 12, a total of $60,000 worth of digital assets were stolen from people around the world. The conspirators didn’t hide their identities, and they faced no criminal charges. As it turns out, there are no laws against stealing spaceships in a video game — even if they’re worth thousands of real-world dollars. EVE Online is a massively multiplayer online game (MMO) that was launched in 2003, and it was on this game that the theft occurred. This science-fiction game is all about spacefaring, but one notable feature of the game is that it allows players to purchase in-game assets with real money. This attracts players who can spend large sums on the game, with some of the game’s largest spaceships costing $9,000. But one thing to note in EVE Online is that no matter
how much you pay, once you lose an asset, it’s gone forever.
called Gigx, and a rival faction was able to capitalize on this internal conflict. During an in-person EVE Online summit held in Iceland, representatives from The GoonSwarm Federation convinced The Judge to leave CO2 and commit the single largest robbery in gaming history on his way out. In the real world, The Judge’s actions were completely legal — currently, international law doesn’t treat such virtual objects as personal property. But this perception may be changing. As in-game purchases become more widespread in video games, legal lines have blurred, causing an increasing number of lawmakers to rethink what constitutes “ownership” in the digital age. But, for now at least, it seems like a good time to be a space pirate.
Because of the risk-reward nature of the game, many players unite in huge factions for safety and to pool their resources. One of these groups, Circle of Two or CO2, was the target of the 2017 attack. Within a matter of hours, CO2’s bank accounts were drained and the space stations holding their fleets of ships were sold to their enemies. It was clear from the beginning: This was an inside job. The thief was CO2’s own head diplomat, a player called “The Judge.” For years he’d worked his way through the alliance’s ranks, only to use the access he eventually gained to rob it blind. But greed may not have been his only motivation. He’d had public disagreements with CO2’s leader
GET THE MEDICAL TREATMENT YOU NEED FOR THE INJURIES YOU HAVE
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety
damaged. These types of injuries can take many forms. Whiplash is an injury normally occurring in the neck and back when the muscles, ligaments, and tendons are stretched and torn due to a sudden, jolting movement that results from a collision. A severe collision impact can cause a closed head injury, such as a concussion or brain injury. In this situation, the fluid and tissue inside the skull are damaged due to sudden movement of the head. CONTINUE TREATMENT UNTIL YOU’RE TOLD TO STOP. After a car accident, if your doctor diagnoses an injury and begins treatment, it’s in your best interest to continue the course of treatment until your doctor releases you. Your doctor’s records of your visits are the best way to document and verify the nature and extent of your injuries, as well as the course and duration of your treatment. This verification is essential if you make a car accident injury claim. Medical treatment and medical bills are two of the main components of your injury claim. If you don’t have a doctor or medical insurance, our attorneys at The Law Office of Black & DePaoli can help you find any kind of treatment you will need. We can arrange for the billing to be put on a lien, which means it does not have to be paid until your case is settled. Call 916.962.2896 to speak to one of our attorneys today.
Administration, more than 3 million people are injured each year in car crashes across the
country. If you are seriously injured in a car crash, emergency services will probably come to the scene and take you to the closest hospital, where you will be examined and treated. But what about a less severe crash when there is no immediate pain? WHENEVER YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS, SEE YOUR DOCTOR. A lot of personal injury attorneys have stories about clients coming into their offices saying they felt no pain at the scene of their accident or later the same day. But the following morning, they woke up feeling like they had been run over by a truck. This is perfectly normal. However, if you feel any pain, you need to seek medical treatment as soon as possible.
One of the most common types of injury is a soft tissue injury, when the body’s connective tissues — muscles, ligaments, and tendons — are
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