The Problem of the Legal Qualification of Gaming Property

Introduction: the paper deals with the problem of the legal qualification of gaming property in online multiplayer games. The purpose of the paper is to analyze existing approaches to the legal regulation of gaming property in online multiplayer games and to develop proposals for their effective application. Methods: the research methodology includes a comprehensive analysis of regulatory legal acts, judicial practice, scientific publications, and user agreements related to the legal status of gaming property. The comparative law method, the method of analysis and synthesis, the formal legal method, and the method of analogy are used to assess the applicability of various statutory concepts to gaming property. The author examines the features of gaming property, which include ingame items and currency that exist only in the context of the game. Various approaches to the legal regulation of gaming property are analyzed, such as the real-legal concept, its recognition as intellectual property, the qualification of acquisition as a type of service, and others. The possibilities of applying classical property law, consumer protection legislation, and tax incentives to operations with gaming property are investigated. Conclusions: as a result, the author suggests extending the provisions on the results of intellectual activity as part of a complex object to unique gaming property and the provisions on rendering services and the legislation on consumer rights to the rest of the gaming property.