Emerging Legal Issues in the 3D Space of Metaverse

Document Type : Scientific Research

Author

Assistant Professor of Law, Payam Noor University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

The virtual world with its unique features allows people to explore digital spaces and interact with other users. Therefore, Metaverse has many advantages for business development. Metaverse is a tool for developing human life experiences, an unlimited and general scope and a virtual life space beyond our imaginations. This area started with the video games industry, but it was not limited to it and quickly included other aspects of life. Unfortunately, the requirements and platforms of Metaverse have not grown as this world is expanding. Metaverse is a world, whose principles, development and management have not been determined and explained, and how to monitor and even its shortcomings and inadequacies have not been fully defined. One of the most basic of these requirements, which is the basis of other activities, is the legal and legal requirements of this new world. The purpose of this article is to examine emerging legal issues in the metaverse and presenting new approaches to obtain solutions in this field. Specifically, the issue of ownership and intellectual property, NFTs and taxation, and liability rights were examined. Blockchain and smart contracts can be used to legitimize many of the necessary property protections; In particular, intellectual property should be used in the Metaverse ecosystem. NFTs are considered as examples of investment contracts and are considered as taxable securities. Regarding the legal responsibility of avatars in Metaverse, while identifying "electronic personality" for them, According to the degree of dependence of the avatar on the producer, the theories of "strict liability " and "direct liability" have been proposed. Despite this, it seems; that the ability to adapt the rules and regulations to the changing events in the metaverse and to change the approach inherent in the rules to manage this world are considered as the biggest legal challenges in this field. It must be emphasized that law is monitoring emerging events and challenges in metaverse.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Civil Law Knowledge
Volume 12, Issue 1 - Serial Number 23
September 2023
Pages 85-98

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