INTERNET auctioneer eBay Inc said yesterday it would not ban trading of virtual Internet items such as game accounts and online weapons in China though the policy had been applied overseas. A ban, however, could go into effect if Chinese regulation required action against the trading of virtual items, officials with eBay Inc's China division said.

"It's difficult for us to predict when this measure will also be applied here, but any measure we take will abide with local rules," said Liu Yan, an eBay China spokeswoman.

EBay has banned trading of virtual game items in the United States and United Kingdom due to "the legal complexity associated with these types of items," according to a company statement.

Game companies in China hope that eBay can exercise the policy soon as they believe online auction sites assist trade in stolen accounts and other virtual items.

Trade in stolen virtual goods has skyrocketed thanks to the popularity of online games such as Ulitma and World of Warcraft. It takes thousands of man hours to collect some of the rarer items in online games, and hackers who steal them from other users have been able to tap into strong demand on auction sites for virtual items. Most trade in virtual items, however, is legal.

"We are paying a close attention to what eBay is doing globally," said Tencent Inc, China's largest instant messaging service provider, which has also ventured into the gaming sector, in a statement to Shanghai Daily yesterday. "It means that social problems created by illegal virtual property trading have been highlighted in the global arena."

Source:未知