RuneScape gold counts as real stolen property after UK judge rules in $700K theft case

A UK court has ruled that Old School RuneScape gold can be treated as property for the purposes of a theft claim, after an ex-developer was accused of stealing and selling hundreds of billions of in-game coins worth more than $700,000.

The decision stems from a January 14 judgment involving a former employee of Jagex, the studio behind Old School RuneScape. The ex-developer allegedly hacked into 68 player accounts, removed vast amounts of RuneScape gold, and sold it outside the game in exchange for Bitcoin.

Jagex argued that the stolen gold had a real-world value exceeding $700,000 due to its established black-market trading value. The defense countered that in-game currency has no tangible value and therefore could not be considered property under UK law.

RuneScape gold ruled real property in lawsuit

As first reported by PC Gamer, Lord Justice Popplewell focused on whether RuneScape gold could fall under the definition of property in the Theft Act 1968. He concluded that property should be interpreted broadly and can include things commonly understood to be capable of being stolen, even if they do not exist physically.

The judgment noted that RuneScape gold is regularly bought and sold both inside the game and externally, making it capable of dishonest dealing. On that basis, the court found that stealing large quantities of in-game gold and converting it into cryptocurrency could qualify as theft in this case.

The ruling also included a detailed explanation of how Old School RuneScape works, describing player progression as a time-consuming process that gives in-game wealth practical value to players, despite its lack of official real-world worth.

While the latest ruling does not automatically apply to all cases involving virtual items, it sets a notable precedent for how UK courts may treat digital game currencies when real-world trading and financial gain are involved.