The metaverse is a new technology that allows people to play games, shop, and conduct business virtually. Corporations have been spending millions of dollars on virtual real estate in the metaverse, which they use to conduct business and advertise their products. But with the advent of this new technology, it is unclear what type of law governs virtual real estate transfers. The legal community has suggested that either contract law, traditional property law, or intellectual property law governs virtual real estate transfers. This Note proposes that all three of these legal areas play their part, and none should be used to the exclusion of any other. Additionally, this Note proposes a digital registry that can be used to keep public records of virtual land transfers, which will give virtual landowners evidence to back up their ownership claims. Furthermore, this Note examines the current jurisdictional tests used by courts to resolve Internet disputes and proposes a new test that factors in the broad nature of the metaverse and thus is better suited to handle metaverse legal disputes.
* J.D., University of Illinois College of Law. I would like to thank my family and friends for their support throughout law school, and the University of Illinois Law Review staff for their excellent editorial assistance.
The full text of this Note is available to download as a PDF.