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Metaverse Masterclass

[Metaverse Good Read] Legal issues in the metaverse

There are a variety of legal issues concerning the metaverse, especially given that it is a meeting point for multiple technologies, requiring or linked to servers, hosting, software, platforms, hardware and other peripherals (e.g. VR glasses and haptic gloves for sensing virtual objects), content, graphics, maps, buildings, photos, interfaces, as well as blockchain for acquiring and registering tokenised virtual assets. This diversity also raises a host of legal issues ranging from intellectual property rights to data protection and civil law.

Data Security & Privacy
Intellectual Property
Fintech
M&A and other Investment Activity
Regulation of Virtual Assets
Gambling and Lottery Laws
Regulation of Conduct in the Metaverse
Tax

In this series of articles, we explore the key issues concerning the metaverse, including:

Part 1: Trademarks and copyright, NFTs and civil law principles in metaverse

Part 2: Data protection challenges, the importance of cybersecurity, advertising regulation in metaverse

Part 3: Tax, Regulation

Part 1: Trademarks and copyright, NFTs and civil law principles in metaverse

Users can generate virtual creations in the metaverse by interacting with the digital avatars of other users or brands in the virtual space. This raises the question of who owns the intellectual property (IP) and what protection is provided to the creators?

To quote an example, it may become difficult to conclude the identity of a given work’s creator(s) in the metaverse, especially when the work results from a decentralized collaborative process carried out by users hiding behind avatars.

The metaverse can also experience issues with trademarks. Companies in the metaverse use real-world brands such as Nike, Gucci, CU, etc., to create and sell items/accessories for avatars. Circumstances can arise when:

  • Such items are used within the metaverse,
  • A user creates and sells the same item, or
  • When items gain popularity in the metaverse and are then copied and produced in the real world.

Part 2: Data protection challenges, the importance of cybersecurity, advertising regulation in metaverse

The security and privacy of users’ data will be among the most significant metaverse legal implications issues that platform owners will face. While these concerns are not new to tech companies, Facebook being a very popular example, data in the metaverse will be exponentially more valuable than it already is. Technologies will become closely integrated into almost all aspects of the users’ lives.

The sensors would have real-time insightinto the lives of humans. Gears like AR glasses and headsets can particularly bring major privacy threats by serving as mics and cameras inside homes and offices.

Behavior in the metaverse will have the capacity to reveal intrusive information about people’s interests, including biometric data and head and eye movements. Currently, there are no set guidelines for who and what companies can collect, who owns it, and how it can be used.

Since the metaverse aims to be a global environment, it would be difficult to know which data protection laws apply.

Some of the key questions to consider when it comes to privacy and cybersecurity include:

  • What personal information are you sharing on the metaverse?
  • Who has access to your personal information?
  • How is your personal information being used?
  • Is your personal information being shared with third parties?
  • What security measures are in place to protect your personal information?

Part 3: Tax, Regulation

Digital assets, when purchased and/or sold, may be subject to different taxes like income tax, sales tax, etc. For example, the metaverse allows users to buy virtual land and build settlements or purchase NFT versions of real-world objects needed to construct their world. The growth of Web3 has also created an opportunity for people from all over the world to work together on new business ventures with their own rules.

Finally, regarding the provision of public services, several cities have already started a transition towards a virtual public venue. Virtual reality seems to be the choice picked by these cities for greater efficiency and proximity in favor of their citizens. However, this approach presents a strong risk of massive surveillance and monetisation for host platforms. To protect users, European institutions should ensure the complete application of the GDPR provisions to effectively avoid targeted advertising in such online public venues.
Furthermore, our study underlined the transformation that is going to occur in education. The Metaverse will open new possibilities and opportunities for professors to teach to students and to improve pedagogical support. However, studies already mentioned the danger of screens and social media for young people. Their social identity could be deeply modified creating isolation and behaviour alteration. European authorities and actors of health and digital sectors should open a conversation toward the use of the Metaverse for education and its impact on our children’s health.

References:

https://www.sciencespo.fr/public/sites/sciencespo.fr.public/files/Metaverse-Group-report-final-draft-June-12-1.pdf

https://www.cliffordchance.com/content/dam/cliffordchance/briefings/2022/02/the-metaverse-what-are-the-legal-implications.pdf

https://cms.law/en/int/publication/legal-issues-in-the-metaverse

https://abovethelaw.com/2022/09/the-technology-and-legal-issues-behind-metaverse/?amp=1

(Image credit: “The Good Fight” Season6.)

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Metaverse Blog Metaverse News

[Metaverse News] Sony announced PlayStation VR2 and its Sense controller as “the next generation of VR gaming on PS5”

This is an article by Hideaki Nishino Senior Vice President, Platform Experience

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Happy New Year everyone.

It is my great pleasure to start off 2022 with news on our next generation virtual reality system for the PS5 console, starting with the official name: PlayStation VR2, and our new VR controller, PlayStation VR2 Sense controller.

PlayStation VR2 takes VR gaming to a whole new level, enabling a greater sense of presence and allowing players to escape into game worlds like never before. With the headset on and controllers in hand, players will feel a heightened range of sensations unlike any other – thanks to the creativity of the game worlds being built by our world class developers, and the latest technology incorporated into the hardware.

Building upon our innovations from PS5, PlayStation VR2 adds a true next-gen experience with high-fidelity visuals, new sensory features, and enhanced tracking – along with a simplified single-cord setup. 

  • Visual Fidelity: For a high-fidelity visual experience, PS VR2 offers 4K HDR, 110-degree field of view, and foveated rendering. With an OLED display, players can expect a display resolution of 2000×2040 per eye and smooth frame rates of 90/120Hz.
  • Headset-based Controller Tracking: With inside-out tracking, PS VR2 tracks you and your controller through integrated cameras embedded in the VR headset. Your movements and the direction you look at are reflected in-game without the need for an external camera.
  • New Sensory Features: PS VR2 Sense Technology combines eye tracking, headset feedback, 3D Audio, and the innovative PS VR2 Sense controller to create an incredibly deep feeling of immersion. Headset feedback is a new sensory feature that amplifies the sensations of in-game actions from the player. It’s created by a single built-in motor with vibrations that add an intelligent tactile element, bringing players closer to the gameplay experience. For example, gamers can feel a character’s elevated pulse during tense moments, the rush of objects passing close to the character’s head, or the thrust of a vehicle as the character speeds forward. Additionally, PS5’s Tempest 3D AudioTech makes sounds in the player’s surroundings come alive, adding to this new level of immersion.
  • Eye Tracking: With eye tracking, PS VR2 detects the motion of your eyes, so a simple look in a specific direction can create an additional input for the game character. This allows players to interact more intuitively in new and lifelike ways, allowing for a heightened emotional response and enhanced expression that provide a new level of realism in gaming. 

All of these advancements in PlayStation VR2, combined with the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers from the PS VR2 Sense controllers, enable players to feel and interact with games in a much more visceral way. PS VR2 will also have a simple setup process — with a single cable connected directly to PS5, you can immediately jump into the VR experience.

Today we are also pleased to reveal that one of the biggest exclusive franchises on PlayStation will be coming to PS VR2 – Horizon Call of the Mountain from Guerrilla and Firesprite. This original game is being built specifically for PS VR2 and will open the doors for players to go deeper into the world of Horizon.

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s exciting updates. Just remember, this is only a taste of things to come, and I can’t wait to share more details with you about PS VR2. In the meantime, below is the list of official specifications.