Group Prosecuted in China for ‘Arms Dealing’ in Legends of Mir

September 6, 2006 at 4:51 pm - by Dale Dietrich

Categories: Cheating, Hacking, Virtual Crime Cases, Virtual Property Cases

A former deputy manager of Shanghai-based Shanda Network Development, Wang Yihui, and two accomplices are being prosecuted in China for illegal virtual weapons trade. Mr. Yihui changed the underlying game database of the popular Legend of Mir video game to produce, and replicate, two high powered weapons and provide them to two registered gamer accomplices. They, in turn, sold multiple copies of these weapons for profit. The group was able to make around $250,000 between September 2004 to August 2005 by such sales. Users of these weapons have an unfair advantage that allows them to advance through the game at a much quicker pace. The group are being prosecuted for copyright infringement.

Sources: Bit-tech.net | ars technica | Live Science | Spong | Taipei Times | 7 Days | IEET | War Cry | China Post