Greg Lastowka (Rutgers School of Law – Camden) has posted User-Generated Content & Virtual Worlds (Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment and Technology Law, Forthcoming) on SSRN. Here is the abstract:
In this paper, I discuss the tension between virtual worlds and user-generated content. I begin this essay in Part I with some efforts at definition, given that both user-generated content and virtual worlds are terms of recent origin. In Part II, I will explore some of the issues raised when user-generated content is made a central part of a virtual world, focusing on the difference between Second Life and World of Warcraft. Finally, Part III, I will consider what the presence or absence of user-generated content in virtual worlds might mean for the future of our increasingly virtual and interactive digital culture.